Ever Mine
by NineAnd3Quarters
Summary: Book 2 of 3. Christian and Anastasia leave the beach house to return to normal life at Escala. What happens when the vacation ends and real life begins? Watch them navigate through their newfound relationship in the real world. Pinterest is NineN3Quarters. Sequel to 'Now Mine'. CG POV.
1. Escala

**A/N: If you haven't already, please go back and read my prequel to this. It's name is "Mine Now".**

The past week has been a complete rollercoaster for me. I walked into the vacation house pessimistic and angry and left it hopeful and happy. I've got the most beautiful woman I've ever seen under my arm while we drive back to Escala for the first time and, without my mother's incredible skill of the guilt treatment, I might have never found her. I've got to remember to thank my mother.

Anastasia has agreed to be my submissive girlfriend and, to be honest, I'm not sure how it all works. She's never been in that type of relationship either, so we'll have to navigate it together. I find myself nervous about bringing her back to Escala. Will she like it there? Will she like the playroom? Will it scare her? Excite her? I know it's pretty impressive, so I know I don't have to worry about her being bored with it. What if I screw everything up and push her away? We don't have a contract, but we've gone over limits and so on...there are still some things she hasn't elaborated on, yet...so I might have to set her down at some point and make her look through the list of limits.

She's agreed to stay the weekend with me instead of going home tonight, and that makes me relieved. Not only do I want her close to me, but I worry that Liam will show up at her apartment while she's there. I don't know how dangerous he can be, but by everything that happened this past week, I'm not willing to take the chance on that fucker touching my girl.

I look down at the girl who is leaning against me and see her chewing on her lip.

"Nervous?" I ask, whispering in her ear.

She releases her lip and a smile forms on her face. She nods. "Yes...an excited nervous."

"Good." I answer against her ear, making her shiver. I want her antsy. I kiss her temple and relax back, opening the hand on the arm that is slung over her. She takes the hint and laces her fingers with mine, while we sit in comfortable silence. I love that she's content with the silence. So many woman run their mouths non-stop, but Anastasia is such a calm, sensitive soul and it radiates from her. Just being close to her gives me a sense of a calm.

Taylor pulls down the street in front of Escala and my heart jumps hard in my chest.

"This is my building." I mention, pointing out the window. She leans over my lap to look up at the tall building with wide eyes.

"Wow."

"I own the Penthouse." I tell her. _Smug asshole._

"Holy cow, Christian. Mia wasn't kidding when she said you lived in the sky." Anastasia mentions as we pull into the parking garage and make our way underground.

"I like being above the rest of the world." I tell her honestly.

She nods, but doesn't elaborate. Her face remains impassive and I wonder if she's judging me for my comment. I spent my life feeling inferior to everyone around me...not anymore. If she shows any signs of judgement, I'll beat it out of her. I won't allow it and I won't take it from her; her opinion is important to me and it's imperative that she knows I deserve my place above the others.

Taylor puts in the code to the floor of our garage and I watch his fingers closely, making sure he did as told and changed the code. I see him input 1989 and I smile; Taylor is one of the very few employees I know I can trust. The door opens and we drive in, Sawyer following us in her car. Taylor pulls in to the first available space and Sawyer parks Anastasia's on the opposite lane from us.

Taylor turns off the vehicle and opens my door and I slide out, Anastasia following. I take her hand immediately and she looks around.

"How many people share this level?" She asks.

I grin. "Just me."

Her eyes widen. "You mean...all of these cars are yours?"

I chuckle at her. "Yes, Anastasia. All of them are mine."

"Holy shit." She whispers and then gasps, covering her mouth and reddening. "Sorry, sir."

I laugh and pull her to me, kissing her forehead. "You're forgiven, Anastasia." Her reaction to my collection pleases me greatly. Her use of profanity was actually quite cute.

"Come." I steer her towards the elevator where Taylor and Sawyer are both waiting with our luggage. Once we're all inside, Taylor presses the code and the door shuts.

As soon as the doors hit together, I feel this electric charge pulling me to Anastasia. I hear her gasp, and I wonder if she feels it, too. My eyes find hers and I see her looking up at me with big doe eyes, her pink bottom lip between her teeth. _She definitely feels it._ I suddenly wish I made security wait for the next trip; all I want to do is stop the elevator and hike up that dress of hers so I can fuck her fast and hard.

I shake my head from the thoughts, knowing my raging hard on is making itself known, and pull her in front of me to hide it. She leans back into me and I discretely press myself into her soft ass, making my thoughts clear. A small smile forms on her face, but she keeps her eyes on the door in front of us.

The elevator dings and the doors open, immediately relieving the sexual tension between Anastasia and I. I place my hand on the small of her back and escort her through the foyer and into the main room. I watch her closely while she tries to take everything in. She looks shell-shocked.

"Well? What do you think?" I ask, wanting to know if the shock is a good thing.

"It's..." She shakes her head and shrugs her shoulders. "So big, Christian! It's beautiful. May I look out the window?"

"Yes, of course." I want her to feel at home here. I allow her to go explore the skyline on her own while I watch her. "Would you like some wine, Anastasia?"

She turns back to me and I see that she's beaming; it causes a smile to form on my face. "Yes, that would be lovely, Christian. Thank you."

I head into the kitchen while she continues to be captivated by the view. I search through the wine fridge and find one of my favorite white wines before pouring each of us a glass. I notice that Taylor and Sawyer are no where to be found and I'm glad they made themselves scarce. I just want it to be Ana and I this weekend.

I head back towards her and see that she's still plastered in the same spot where I left her. She hears my footsteps and turns towards me, smiling.

"Thank you, Christian." She takes one of the glasses from me and takes a sip. Her eyes widen at the taste and I give her a smirk.

"Good?"

She nods. "This is phenomenal."

My smirk widens. I love introducing all of this to her. I want to continue to surprise and shock her every day that we're together.

"Should we continue with the tour?" I ask, eager to show her the rest.

She nods. "Yes, sir."

I take her hand and head to the kitchen, explaining that Mrs. Jones only works Monday through Friday, so she'll meet her at a later date.

"Sir?" She stops for a second on our way out of the kitchen.

"Yes?"

"If she doesn't cook on the weekends...what do you eat?"

I give her an amused look. She knows I'm definitely not going to cook for myself. "Usually I heat something up she's left...or my sub cooks for me."

She nods softly; the answer makes her look uncomfortable. I'm confused by this. She had no problem cooking for me while we were away...Why would she suddenly be worried about it now? Unless...she's uncomfortable with the thought of other subs in my kitchen. For some reason, I like that she's jealous.

"Come. Let me show you the rest."

I take her down the hall, showing her the bathroom and then the library, where she gets stuck for almost fifteen minutes. I practically have to peel her off of my bookshelves to get her to keep moving.

"This is my bedroom." I tell her, standing at the closed door.

She smiles at me. "The one where no woman has been?"

I chuckle. "No woman except my housekeeper."

She giggles. "Let me in!"

I smack her bottom playfully while I push the door open. "So sassy."

I allow her to enter first and she stops, closes her eyes, and takes a deep breath. "Mmm."

I watch her as she slowly makes her way around the room, touching random pieces of furniture and taking a look at the view of the skyline before she turns towards the bed. She sits on the edge and bounces lightly a couple times.

"What are you doing?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"Just trying the bed out." She answers, turning and laying against the pillow, and starts to shimmy.

"Is it to your standards, Anatasia?" I say dryly.

For a split second, I think I see a shadow of a smile on her face, but I blink and it's gone. She keeps her eyes on the ceiling, refusing to meet my eyes. "No."

Her answer floors me.

"What?" I growl.

She turns her head and smiles at me. "I won't know if it's up to my standards until my gorgeous dom is lying in it."

I've been called this many times before, but for some reason, it means so much more coming from her. My heart swells at the compliment from her. I try not to show the affect she has on me; I cock my eyebrow at her and she does the same to me before patting the bed next to her.

 _She's challenging me._ I raise both of my eyebrows and she gives me the sweetest smile she can muster. "Please?"

I shake my head, but laugh. _This girl._ I lie down next to her on my back and turn my head towards her. "So?"

She smiles. "Perfect."

I sit up and sigh. "What _am_ I going to do with you, Anastasia?"

She sits up and shrugs. "I don't know...maybe you should show me your playroom before you decide?"

 _Little minx._ "Maybe your punishment should be that you don't get to see the playroom today." I tell her as seriously as I can.

Her lips pull into a frown. "Does that mean I should just go home?"

My eyes widen. "No. Of course not. I was trying to make a joke; it didn't come across as intended. My apologies, Miss Steele."

"A joke? I'm sorry, Christian...it's kind of hard navigating this half and half thing...I don't know when you're joking or when you're being serious and I don't know when I should be submissive or when I'm allowed to be sassy."

I reach over and smooth her hair away from her face. "I know. It's new to both of us. As long as you aren't purposely being disrespectful or rude, I won't punish you for it...that's not to say I won't spank you for pleasure, but I promise it won't be for punishment."

She smiles and I know she feels much better.

"The playroom?" I ask.

She gives me a toothy grin and nods. "Yes, please, sir."

"Shoes off, baby."

I get up to fetch the key out of my drawer before I escort her up the stairs. On our way up, I see her demeanor change. Her breathing increases, almost to the point of panting, and the tip of her tongue keeps slipping out to wet her lips. She's rubbing her hands together and I can tell that she's a little nervous, but becoming aroused at the same time. I feel myself getting aroused with each step, knowing I'll get to see her in my playroom instead of just picturing it.

When we make it to the playroom door, I pull the large gold key out of my pocket and slip it into the lock. I love how easily it glides into the keyhole. I turn it and my dick twitches when I hear the click of the lock.

"You ready, baby?" I ask, looking down at her.

"Yes." My girl looks excited. _She should be._

I slip the key back into my jeans and push the door open, allowing her to enter first. The aroma of wood and orange furniture cleaner hits me and my body automatically reacts. I stand taller, more even on my feet. My chin lifts and my brow ridge deepens. _This_ feels like home.

I notice that the room has the opposite effect on Anastasia. Her chin dips, her eyes lower and she seems to fold into herself.

I frown. She seems so unsure of herself...so small-too delicate- for this room. I've never looked at a sub like that before. Sure...I've always thought of myself as the big bad wolf...but now, I feel like I really am a predator and she's little red.

 _You're the dom, asshole. Fix it._

I watch Anastasia move towards the floggers, holding a hand up to run her fingers through the ends. Her chin is still tilted down and she's looking at them through her eyelashes.

I stride over to her and stand behind her. "You don't have to be afraid of it, Anastasia. You may explore freely when we're not in scene."

She nods, continuing to look at the flogger. "I'm sorry, sir. The room is so intimidating." Her words are so quiet, her tone so soft, that I have to strain to hear her.

I lean down and kiss the shell of her ear. "No need, Anastasia. I want you to be comfortable."

She smiles softly while she runs her fingers through the long leather strands. "They're so soft."

"They better be, they cost a fortune."

She giggles quietly and moves on to explore more of the playroom.

"I like this..." She mentions, running her index finger of my brand new tantra chair.

I grin. "Ordered it just for you."

She stops in her tracks and a smile slowly forms on her face. "Really?"

I nod. "Yes, angel."

Her cheeks redden and she looks down, biting her lip. "I guess I better show my appreciation then."

I saunter slowly over to her and stand behind her, sliding her hair off her neck.

"I guess you better." I whisper into her ear before I slide my nose from the skin in front of her ear to the junction of her shoulder and neck, slowly breathing hot air out of my mouth to tickle her skin.

Her body shivers against my touch and breaks out full of goosebumps. I nip and lick my way across her skin and she leans her head, offering her neck in delicious submission.

I bite down on her jugular- enough to leave indentations for a few minutes, but not enough to bruise- and her knees buckle. I catch her around her waist and slowly lower her to her knees, while I kneel behind her.

"Are you my good girl, Anastasia?" I whisper against her ear.

She whimpers and nods. "Yes, sir. I'm your good girl."

"What are your safewords, Anastasia?"

"Yellow and red, sir."

"That's my good girl."

My dick is straining against my jeans, throbbing to be free, but I know I can't lead with my dick. I need to show her how controlled I can be. She hasn't seen that side, yet.

I nip at her pulse point and suck before sitting back on my heels. I take her hair in my hands and begin to braid her hair. I told her to always carry a hair band. It's time to see how well she listens. When I get to the end, I pinch it between my fingers, keeping the braid from unraveling and ask her.

"Where is your hair tie, Anastasia?"

"Right pocket, sir." She keeps her head down and her forearms on her thighs.

I smile. She really _is_ my good girl. I slip my hand into her sundress pocket and feel multiple bands at the bottom. I am highly amused by this. _Overachiever._

I hook my index finger in one and pull it out, securing her braid. I stand, but she doesn't move.

"Up."

She rises off the floor, but keeps her head pointed at the floor. I see that her shoulders are straight, making her look more confident and it pleases me. She now feels safe and comfortable in my playroom with me.

I step back from her to see her reaction, but she doesn't move. I continue to put distance between us, but she stays statue still. I go to my drawers and pull out a blind fold and then pull out my leather cuffs that can either be hooked together or to any of my contraptions.

I move back over to her, keeping my footsteps quiet and when I get close enough, I slip the blindfold on. She jumps slightly and gasps, so my hand connects with her clothed backside, making her jump again.

I unzip her sundress, sliding it off her shoulders so that it falls to the floor. I unsnap her bra and do the same.

Retrieving the cuffs from the floor, I hold them in my left hand while my right ghosts down her arm and wraps around her wrist, guiding it behind her back. I take my time and attach the first cuff, slipping a finger in to make sure it isn't too tight.

I do the same with her other wrist, securing it to the other with a six inch chain between them.

I take a step back to admire my beautiful girl before I slip my clothes off. The zipper of my jeans is extremely loud in the quiet room and the sound makes her toes curl and her hand ball into fists. As much as I love to see her react to me like that, this is the reason my dom jeans are button up. I don't like my subs knowing what I'm up to. I have exercised great control over my movements in this room and have learned to be completely silent with anything I do.

I return back to Anastasia and notice that her lip is between her teeth. A short tug on braid makes her release it and gasp.

"Good girl."

I run my index finger from her neck and down her spine, stopping at the waistband of her panties.

"You look simply edible, Miss Steele." She looks so sexy in these little satin bikinis, but she'd look even better if she was wearing something I bought her. I make a mental note to contact Neiman Marcus later.

I circle around her and lift her chin with my finger before kissing her lips. She kisses me back and I can feel her inner struggle. She wants to stay still, but her back keeps trying to arch so she can mold against me.

I want to pull her against me and give us what we both crave, but I'm curious to see how much control she has-if her will is stronger than her want. I deepen the kiss and feel her shoulders sway, but she stays put. I pull away from the kiss, grinning like an idiot. I am oddly proud of her, even though a part of me wants her to need me so bad that she can't control herself.

I crouch down and slide her panties down her legs, my palms flat against her skin so I can grope her on the way down. When they get to her ankles she lifts one foot and then the other so that they're discarded on the floor.

I can smell her arousal from her and I can't help myself. I bring my face to the apex of her thighs, breathing deeply and I feel her tremble. I lift my chin and run my tongue up her slit and she whimpers. I feel her hips slowly move forward, trying to find some relief, and I pull away quickly. She takes a shaky breath in and I chuckle.

"Patience, my girl."

She nods. "Yes, sir."

I nuzzle and kiss over her stomach and take a deep breath in, smelling her skin. She smells phenomenal...something I can't explain. It's an apple, pheromone, innocent, yet sexy kind of smell that I've never had the joy of smelling until now...it's something I crave and something I refuse to ever live without.

I stand and maneuver her to the tall end of the tantra chair and bend her over so that her abdomen is leaning against it. I press my knee between hers, forcing her to open further and run my index finger from her clit all the way up her backside, making her squirm.

I spank her. "Still."

"Sorry, sir."

I leave her to retrieve the flogger she was interested in. I know she said only her backside, but these are soft enough not to leave marks...I'll have to speak to her about it. I want her to trust me completely; enough that she'll let me hit her wherever I want with whatever I want, knowing that I won't mutilate that beautiful body.

I start my way back over to her and I can see how pink she is from halfway across the room. It won't take long for her to come...Do I let her come? Or do I make her wait? _Hmm._ I tap my chin while I watch her from ten feet away.

It would be so much fun to keep playing with her and taking it away before she slips over the edge...but I don't want her to think this is punishment. She's been a very good girl and I want her to enjoy herself. Perhaps I'll force her to come over and over, until she's unable to stand.

I grin at the thought.

 _Yes, that's exactly what I'll do._

I make the ten strides over to her and run the very ends of the floggers down the length of her spine and over her backside. She intakes sharply and goosebumps form over her body. I lift the flogger again and this time I roll my wrists, making the ends swirl in small circles as I slowly make my way down her spine again. I swing my arm back and bring it forward, the leather licking her backside.

"Mmm..." Her head rolls.

I do it a few more times, alternating cheeks, making her pant.

"Trust me, Anastasia."

"Okay." She breathes and I smirk. _Easy._

I lift the flogger and sway my arm back and forth letting the leather strands glide over her smooth skin from side to side. I start at her hips and my my way up and then back down again. I continue up and down, striking her skin a little harder each time I start at her hips again. She's starting to mewl and she keeps squeezing her toes and fists, so I know she's getting there. I stop my movements back and forth and strike her square on the back with the flogger, making her moan. I do it a few more times, making my way down to her plump buttocks and then point it toward the floor and swinging it back up, right between her legs and throwing her into an orgasm.

She cries out and starts to convulse. I do not want to miss out on the muscle contraction so I line myself up and dive into her from behind and I have to clench my jaw to keep from becoming verbal myself. She is so deliciously wet and tight, and her walls are like a vise, clamping around my dick and sucking me further into her. I force myself to pull out until only the heads in and I slam into her over and over and ride it out.

Her muscles finally relax and I reach down and lift her right leg, hooking it over my forearm. I continue to lift it and grip the top of the leather chair to keep it in place. I continue to plow into her, wondering how long she'll be able to handle only being on one leg. I'm determined to make sure she can't stand anymore.

I feel her walls start to flutter again and I change the angle of my thrusts to hit her g-spot easier.

"Come."

She obeys.

Once shes finished, I slow, making sure she can feel every inch in and every inch out. I slip my freehand around her leg and play with her clit.

"Mmm...oh, sir..." She moans loudly.

I rub her swollen clit into a tiny hard bundle of nerves and pinch it and pull, forcing it to release and then I continue to rub it until it's back into its bundle. Her mewls get louder, causing my thrusts to quicken without me even realizing.

"It feels so good when you come, Anastasia...can you come for me?"

She whimpers and I know she's tired.

"Come on, Anastasia. Let me have it. Come for your sir."

She starts to pant and I know she's getting there. My thrusts get harder and my fingers get rougher. "Are you my good girl, Anastasia?"

That does it.

"YES!" She screams, trying to answer me as she detonates around me. I slow my movements and let her body suck my dick in every time I pull out.

Her legs start to shake and I pull my hand out from between her legs and hold her tightly against me as her leg gives way.

"That's it, baby. That's my good girl." I whisper in her ear, kissing her neck while she recuperates.

I slip out of her and pick her up, carrying her over to the opposite side of the tantra chair. The curve is lower and I lay her back, the small of her back and tailbone against the top of the swell, her handcuffed hands sitting comfortably in the middle, with her shoulder blades and head resting in the center of the chair. Her ass is propped up higher than her head-it'll make her orgasms more intense- so I know it won't be much longer before she's comatose.

I kneel down and lift the back of her thighs so that her center is right in front of my face and I bury my face in it, enjoying how incredibly wet she is. She's wet down the inside of both thighs and now so is my face from the nose down. I continue to play, my tongue at her clit and two fingers inside stroking her g-spot, until she comes again. This time, she does more whimpering than screaming and I know she's almost at her limit.

I stand quickly and enter her, pounding into her hard and she surprises me by rooting me on.

"Oh, sir! Yes, fuck...yes!"

I almost laugh, because I'm so surprised. Here, I thought that she was comatose, but as soon as my dick touches her, she comes back to life. If that doesn't make a fucker smug, I don't know what will.

I wrap my arms around her and lift her off the leather, leaving her head and shoulders where they are, as I continue my assault inside of her. I can feel her start to throb hard and I know she's got one last orgasm in her.

"Don't fight it, Anastasia." I warn, when I see her bite her lip. I know it will make her stomach cramp for awhile, but it's already going to either way. She might as well get something out of it.

She growls in frustration and succumbs to yet another orgasm. This time, I don't hold back and I allow myself to come with her.

"Fuck...Ana!" I come so hard, I see black and have to close my eyes. I've never lost my vision from fucking until she came around.

My ass muscles tighten and twitch as I try to keep us both upright in mid-orgasm. I want to bend over to set her down, but my stomach and thigh muscles are so tight I can't move, so I have to choice, but to ride this out. I know I'm moaning and grunting, but she feels so fucking good. I just hope she doesn't judge me for it.

Finally, I am able to bend over and place her back on the chair. I need a minute to recuperate before I pick her up again. My limbs are useless.

I find my composure and open my eyes, blinking a few times. _Not blind anymore._ I reach behind her, unclipping the chain from her wrists, and lift her up, startling her. She had fallen asleep.

"It's okay. I've got you. You did so well, Ana."

I carry her over to the bed and lay her on it while I slip my jeans back on. I don't want to risk Sawyer still being in the apartment. I pick up my shirt and wipe my face clean before throwing it on top of her dress. I take the new gray robe off the back of the door and return to her, taking off her restraints and blindfold and place it over her body to cover her. She stirs while I do these things, but refuses to open her eyes. I can't help, but smile fondly at her. I love taking care of her.

I lift her up, being careful not to let her robe slip. I'd hate to have to fire the fucker we just hired just because he saw my girl naked. I carry her out the door and down the hall, walking straight past the sub room and down the stairs, not stopping until we reach my bedroom. I somehow manage to maneuver the duvet down enough to set her down and slide it under her and back over her. I slide the robe out from under the duvet and place it at the end of the bed.

I take in my sleeping girl for a moment and kiss her lips.

Her eyes flutter open and she blinks up at me. "Christian?"

"Sleep, Ana."

"You aren't going to leave, are you?"

I smile and shake my head. "No...I'm not. I just need to change."

She closes her eyes and stretches. "Good."

I watch as she turns to her side and curls up in her little ball. I know she'll be out before I even make it to my drawers to retrieve my pajama pants.

On my way to my closet, I check the clock and see that it's close to five...almost dinner time. I look back at her and see her sleeping deeply.

 _Looks like dinner's going to be late._

XxXxXx

I wake up after an hour, but see that Anastasia is still sleeping sound in my arms. I slowly slide my arm out from under her and scoot back, trying not to wake her. Once I've made sure she's undisturbed, I go in search of our bags. I find them in the hall and pull out my laptop and charger, leaving the rest for Mrs. Jones on Monday morning. I remember that Anastasia already washed all of hers, so I grab her bag and carry it back into the bedroom with me. I place it on the chair along with my charger and make myself comfortable on the bed with my laptop so I can keep an eye on Anastasia. I rest my back against the headboard and use my pillow as a desk.

I fire up my laptop and email Caroline Acton, my assistant buyer at Neiman Marcus, asking her to select clothing and lingerie for Anastasia. I give her Anastasia's sizes and height, as well as her eye and hair color and even the length of her hair. I've never sent a picture before, but Anastasia is my girlfriend and I want to show her off, so I use the picture from her background check and add it as an attachment. I ask her to do a lot of pastel colors to compliment her skin tone. I also ask her to stay away from reds if possible-If that fucker liked her in red, I don't want her in it anymore. I don't want her to even think about that prick again. I also tell her I want nothing too revealing when it comes to clothing, but I want the lingerie to be sexy and lacy. I tell her she doesn't need to send me pics of all the clothing, but I want a picture of every lingerie set so I can hand pick them myself.

I then tell her to send a picture of Anastasia to the best beauty specialist they have, to hand pick beauty products for her. I want her to have the best make-up, skin products, and hair products out there. She's already so beautiful-she needs products that compliment her beauty instead of her budget. Now that she is with me, there is no such a thing as a budget...she'll receive only the best. My chest swells at the thought of being able to do this all for her. I want to take care of her in every way I can.

I hear Anastasia move and I turn my head to see that she's now turned toward me and looking up at me from her pillow.

"You're alive." I tease and shut my laptop, setting it on the nightstand.

"Hrmph." She starts to inch her way towards me and I cock my eyebrow at her in question, but she just smiles back at me. I watch her with interest and when she gets to my legs she wraps her arms around the leg closest to her and lays her head on my thigh.

"Ahh, much better." She says, and she must think she's funny, because she giggles after she says it.

"Keeping me hostage, Miss Steele?"

She nods against my thigh and squeezes my leg tighter. "Last time I woke up, you were all the way over here. This time I know you'll stay or wake me up."

I pull the tie out of her hair and run my hands through it, relieving it of its braid. I stroke her hair and see her eyes flutter shut.

"None of that, Miss Steele. It's dinner time."

She pouts.

"You're going to let me starve?"

She giggles.

"Come on...up." I smack her ass. "I don't know what your sudden fascination is with my leg, but I assure you...it'll still be there later."

She finally sits up and stretches. "Alright, come on grumpy pants. I'll feed you."

 _Grumpy pants?_ "You certainly have a way with words, Miss Steele. Where did you get that fine vocabulary?" I ask as we climb out of bed, dressing her in her robe.

"Do you hate it, Mr. Grey?" She asks, slipping her hand in mine.

"To be honest? No." The truth is I find it fucking adorable. It just fuels the aura of innocence she gives off.

I see her smile at the ground as I lead her into the kitchen so she can make us dinner.

When we reach the kitchen, I release her hand and give her a soft whop on the backside. "Now, make me some dinner, woman. I'm starving. I'll get the wine."

I feel eyes on the back of me when I'm at the wine fridge and turn to see her looking over her shoulder at me while she's at the stove. She makes eye contact and then turns her head quickly around, blushing at the skillet. How this woman can go from sassy to shy in such a small amount of time is beyond me, but I enjoy each side of her. I pour our wine and hand Anastasia hers, before I take a seat at the island so I can watch her move around my kitchen. I could watch this woman all day.


	2. Ana's Apartment

**A/N: A few of you asked this, so I wanted to make it known that I will not be doing Ana's POV. It'll be CG's only.**

 **Pinterest: NineN3Quarters**

I am awoken by the smell of coffee and open my eyes to see that I am alone in bed, hugging Anastasia's pillow. I look around the room and find her in her robe, sitting at the chair by the window looking out on the skyline, while she drinks her coffee.

I sit up in bed and she turns towards me.

She smiles. "Good morning, sir. I've made breakfast. It's waiting on the warming rack for us."

"Good morning, Anastasia." I smile at her. "Come." I pat the bed beside me.

She sets her coffee down on the chest of drawers and sits on the side of the bed next to me. I cup the back of her head and give her a proper good morning kiss. She tastes of coffee and cream and Ana.

"Go ahead and plate our food, baby. I'm going to stop by the bathroom and I'll be in."

She smiles and gives me a short peck on the lips. "Would you like coffee, Christian? Or juice?"

"Coffee is good. Steamed milk. No sugar." I hope she knows how to work the coffee machine cause God knows I haven't the faintest idea.

She nods and scampers off.

I make my way to the toilet to relieve myself and wash my hands, when I get a good look at myself in the mirror. My hair is sticking out all over my head and my eyes are still heavy from sleep.

I splash some cold water on my face and try to calm my hair down. We'll have to shower after breakfast. I'm going to try my best to keep my dick to myself in the shower; I know she's sore from yesterday. Last night before falling asleep, we made love in my bed for the first time and then, the horny fucker I am, ended up waking her up again in the middle of the night to do it again. I want her to rest so that I can take her back into the playroom for another round.

I enter the kitchen and see Anastasia standing at the island, our two plates set, and coffee...but she has a half-eaten cookie in her hand. What _the_ hell?

"Anastasia...what do you have?"

She tucks her chin and gives me a bashful smile. "A cookie."

"Do we eat cookies before breakfast?" I ask, heading toward her.

"We do if they're breakfast cookies."

It takes all my might not to smile at her comment and I wrap my arms around her, raising an eyebrow. "Do I need to remind you we don't eat cookies before meals?" It's awfully early, but I'll put her over my knee, if need be.

She shakes her head. "No, sir."

"So, what are you going to do with that cookie?"

She bites her lip and grins, before holding it up to my lips. "Bite?"

I laugh and open my mouth so she can feed me. I release her so she can sit and I finish chewing while I do the same.

"You know you can't cute your way out of everything..." I mention as I pick up my fork.

She giggles. "That doesn't keep me from trying."

I reach down and pinch her backside, making her startle. "Eat."

XxXxXx

"Turn, I'll wash your hair." She turns towards the water, pouting and I begin to massage the shampoo into her long, dark hair. My erection hasn't gone away since her robe fell to the floor, but I am doing my best to ignore it. I know Anastasia has noticed it and that is the reason for the pout. If it was one of the others, I would have stepped out of the shower long enough to grab one of my belts, leaving welts for punishment. As always, Anastasia is the exception. My soft spot for her is becoming bigger by the day.

While I'm in my thoughts, I notice her plump, little ass slowly making its way closer to me. I continue washing her hair, wanting to see where she is going with this. The small of her back connects to my erection and she begins to shimmy from side-to-side, making my dick rub against her skin.

"No, Anastasia. You need rest."

She straightens her back so that there is a couple of inches between my cock and her back, but stays quiet.

"Rinse."

She turns and does as I say, before turning back around so that I can continue with the conditioner. While I am applying the conditioner, I notice that her hand slips behind her and she grasps my erection in her hand, squeezing. I clench my jaw to keep from making a noise and spank her hard.

"I said no, Anastasia!"

Her hand stills on my erection for a second, but then she squeezes again.

I grab her hair and turn her around to face me, bringing her to her knees. I look down at her and she looks up at me, wide-eyed. "Fine. You want me? Open that mouth."

Her mouth opens wide and I shove myself inside of it harshly, making her gag. I've made my point, so I pull back a little, making sure she isn't choking, and let her take the lead.

She uses her hands and mouth to work me over and starts to close her eyes as she concentrates.

"Eyes on mine."

Watching her blue eyes just makes everything so much more intense for me. Guilt is bubbling up as I look down at her and-fuck me- I crumble and don't wait to do the aftercare.

I run both hands over her head, slipping my fingers through her hair, as I stroke it. "When I tell you no, it means no. I don't do it for any reason, but for your own well-being. Now...you're being a very good girl taking me. I'm almost there, baby. Suck hard."

Her eyes smile up at me and her cheeks hollow as she sucks with all her might. I hold the back of her head and slowly move myself in and out while her tongue keeps dancing along the bottom-side of my shaft. It doesn't take long before my balls draw up and I shoot into her mouth with a groan. _Fuck._ She's so fucking good at this.

I become lightheaded and have to hold onto the wall to keep the room from spinning. I take a couple of slow, deep breaths and the lightheadedness dissipates. I look down and find her still on her knees, looking at the tiled floor.

"Stand, Anastasia."

She stands, but keeps her head bowed and I use my finger to lift her head. Once her eyes connect with mine, I give her a small smile and kiss her lips. "I promise I'll make it up to you, baby. I have plans for you."

The corners of her lips lift into a small smile and I now know she isn't angry.

She lifts up on her tiptoes and pecks my lips. "I'm sorry I didn't listen to you. It's hard to resist you."

I chuckle and shake my head. "It's alright, baby. I feel the same way. Now turn and I'll wash your body."

After I finish with her, I send her on her way to get dressed and finish washing myself. Once I dry off, I secure my towel around my waist and head back into the bedroom, where Anastasia is buttoning her pants.

"Christian, your phone keeps vibrating." She states, nodding towards my phone on the nightstand.

I pick it up and see that I've missed two phone calls and have three texts from Ros. My phone vibrates again and Ros' number pops up.

"Grey."

"What the hell, C? I've been trying to get ahold of you! Where are all those documents we signed last week? I leave tonight for Detroit to finish it."

"Fuck!" I left them in the locked drawer of my locked office. I pull at my wet hair with my free hand and sit on the side of the bed.

"Where are they?" She asks, knowing.

"In my office."

"Now...see? If you would have given me keys, this wouldn't be a problem!"

 _Fuck that!_ There is no way I'm going to allow anyone to have keys to my private business! "Cut the shit, Ros. It isn't going to happen." I know it pisses her off that I don't trust her, but I don't trust anyone...except maybe Taylor.

"I need those documents. I'll meet you in an hour."

 _Shit._ This was supposed to be our kinky-fuckery weekend! I look towards Anastasia, who is staring out the window, trying to give me privacy.

"Fine. We'll be there."

"We-?" I hang up on her before she can ask any more questions and throw my phone on the bed.

"Anastasia?"

She turns towards me. "Yes?"

"I need to go into the office to give my partner some documents I had left in my office." I watch her face, worried I ruined the evening.

Her face falls and she looks a little upset. "Oh, okay." She moves towards the bathroom. "Let me just throw my hair up and I'll get going."

I follow her in and stand behind her as she brushes her wet hair.

"Ana..."

"Yes, Christian?" She looks at me in the mirror.

"I was hoping you'd come with me."

Her brush stops midway down her hair and she stares at me. "You...you want me to go with you?"

"Yes. You're my girlfriend, aren't you?"

A smile forms on her face and then she giggles. "Yes, I suppose I am."

"I'll introduce you to Ros and then we can get some lunch?" I will _not_ let her go home.

She nods. "That sounds great."

I smile in relief. "Dry your hair. I'll get dressed."

 _I wonder how Ros is going to react when I introduce Anastasia as my girlfriend..._ I chuckle at the thought as I make my way into my closet to change.

I'm in the middle of tying my tie when Anastasia appears and watches my fingers. I notice that she's already put a bit of make-up on, making her long dark eyelashes even longer.

"Umm...I think I'm a little underdressed..." She looks down at her jeans, blue blouse and short sleeve beige sweater-jacket.

I look down at myself and realize I'm dressing as if it's a normal workday. "Old habits die hard." I mention out loud.

I look back up at her and smile. "You look beautiful no matter what you wear. I believe I'm overdressed, baby. No one is going to be there except the three of us." My hands still around my tie, but then an idea strikes me and I continue on dressing.

"What shoes are you wearing?" I ask her, seeing her naked feet, while I slip on my gray suit jacket.

"Some that make me taller." She mentions, giggling. She then realizes I asked because I want her in them and her mouth turns into an 'O' before she disappears into the bedroom.

I grab my keys to the Audi R8 Spider on our way out and we make our way down in the elevator. As soon as the elevator door closes, the sexual tension is back and I busy myself with texting Taylor our whereabouts in case he needs something.

When the elevator opens, I release the breath I was holding and escort her to the R8. I open the door for her and let her slip in before bending and buckling her in. I kiss her quickly and shut the door before heading to the driver's side and folding my long body into the driver's side of my baby. I run my hands over the steering wheel while I turn it on. _I've missed this._ It's been weeks since I've driven anything and it's nice to get to drive my favorite.

It's nice out, so I hit the button, letting the top fold down, and I take my pair of Raybans from the center console. I put them on and look over at her, seeing her sitting patiently with her hands in her lap.

"Where are your sunglasses, Anastasia?"

She shrugs. "I don't have any."

I slip my sunglasses down my nose and raise my eyebrow, but she just looks at me, unsure of what to do. I slip them back on and sigh.

"Look in the glovebox, baby." I put the car in reverse and begin to make my way out of the garage while she rummages through my glove box. She pulls out a pair of my aviators and puts them on, tying her hair back with a tie before leaning back and resting her head against the seat.

I look over at her and grin. My sunglasses are too big for her small face, but she looks adorable. We make our way down the streets of Seattle, enjoying the warm air and the breeze.

"I could get use to this." She mentions, making me grin.

"Good. You don't have any other choice."

She gives me a megawatt smile and bites her lip, making my dick twitch. _He's just going to have to wait._ I'm enjoying this innocent little moment we're having.

At the stoplight, I look around and feel her fingers slipping through the hair on the back of my neck. I turn to look at her and she looks a little put off.

"Those women were staring at you." She explains.

I raise an eyebrow. "Are you claiming me, Miss Steele?"

She blushes and looks away, removing her hand, but I grab it and lace my fingers with hers, bringing it to my lips. She turns towards me, surprised and I wink at her, but then I realize she probably can't see it. "Good."

Her blush deepens, but I don't get much time to take it in because the light turns green. I place her hand on my thigh and put the car into gear.

XxXxXx

I park in the garage at Grey House and lead her in by the small of her back. On our way through, her eyes are wide, trying to take everything in that she can. We go straight to my personal elevator and I hold her against me as we make the twenty floors to the top.

"One day, I'm going to fuck you in this elevator, Anastasia." I announce, making her gasp. She looks up at me, her brow furrowed.

"What is it?" I don't like that look.

"You do that often? In here?" She looks around and wrinkles her nose at the thought.

"Never."

Her eyes widen and her head snaps back to me. "Never?"

I shake my head. "Never. None of my subs were ever allowed here."

"What about Mrs. Lincoln?"

I clench my jaw. _What the fuck with all these questions?_

"She used this elevator, but never as a sub." She gives a nod and I know what she's thinking. "Or a domme." I didn't even have Grey House, then. She needs to quit this shit.

Luckily, the door opens and I escort her by the small of her back again, pushing a little harder than I intend to. I see her chin tilt down and her eyes hit the floor. _Get a grip, Grey._

"Hey." I stop her and turn her toward me, holding her chin with my finger and thumb. "I'm sorry. I'm not use to so many questions. You didn't do anything wrong."

She gives a small nod and I give her a reassuring smile before kissing her lips. The kiss seems to squash any worries she might have had because she relaxes immediately.

"That's my good girl." This makes her smile and I know we're back on track. "Ready to see my office?"

She nods. "Yes, sir."

This time, I take her hand and we make the short walk to my office. I just get the door unlocked when I hear heels echoing behind us. I open the door before I turn to greet her.

"Hello, Ros." I say dryly, as she makes her way over to us. She looks surprised, but is smiling from ear-to-ear. _Fucking great._

"Hi." She states back, but keeps her eyes on Anastasia. _She's mine._

"Ros, this is my girlfriend, Anastasia. Anastasia, this is Ros. She's my second in command."

"Oh! Nice to meet you." Anastasia states, offering her hand.

Ros' hand is in Anastasia's far too quickly for my liking and gives it a squeeze. "Pleasure to meet you, Anastasia. That's a beautiful name."

She releases her hand and Anastasia blushes at the compliment. "Oh, well thank you. Please, call me Ana."

I frown. She's never asked me to call her Ana... _not that I need permission._

Ros finally looks at me. "Girlfriend, huh?" She's already teasing me. _Fuck off._

I roll my eyes. "Let's just get the documents so we can go. Anastasia and I had plans today." I turn and they follow me into my office.

Anastasia looks around my office and goes to the window while I busy myself with getting the documents. Ros sits opposite of me and I can see the large smile on her face, even in my periphery. After pulling the manila folder out and locking my drawer, I know I can't ignore her any longer.

I look up at her, scowling. Instead of being intimidated, it just makes her smile grow. _Cocky bitch._

"Don't." I warn.

She shrugs. "I haven't said anything."

I sigh and rub my face. "You have the documents. You can go now."

She rolls her eyes. "Dismissing me, Grey? Who do you take me for? An employee?"

I cock an eyebrow, but it doesn't seem to do anything. I've never been able to intimidate this woman. That's half the reason why I hired her. I needed someone with balls of steel and she's got more balls than all the men on my payroll combined.

"Don't you have a wife to get home to?" I ask her.

She sighs. "Yes, I better go. We're supposed to have dinner before she takes me to the airport." _Thank fuck._ She stands and grabs the manila envelope from my desk.

"Goodbye, Ana. It was nice meeting you."

Anastasia turns from the window and smiles at her. "You, too. Have a safe flight."

Ros leaves and shuts the door behind her after giving me a wink. I scowl at the door. She knows what I'm up to.

"She's British." Anastasia comments, standing next to my chair.

I nod. "It took four months to convince her to leave London, but it was worth it."

I reach up and loosen my tie. "Now...it's time to play."

Her eyes widen and I smirk. "Strip for me." I lean back and rest my feet on my desk, crossing them at the ankle. "Slowly."

She chews her bottom lip and looks around the room, as if worried we'd be caught. I watch her face turn the cutest shade of pink and wonder how far that blush actually goes.

"I didn't stutter, Miss Steele. Do as I say." I begin to unbuckle my belt, making her hop to. _That's what I thought._

Once she's gloriously naked, I snap my fingers and point to the spot in front of me. She hurries over and looks at me, playing with her fingers.

I slide away from her and pat my desk. "Sit."

I roll myself up to her and pull her legs apart and loosen my tie enough to pull it over my head. I take her hands and tighten it around them so that they're locked together. "Lie back, angel." Once she's laying against my wooden desk, I pick up her legs and place her feet over my shoulders. I take her in and groan.

"Nothing compares to seeing you like this, baby. I'll never look at my desk the same again."

I begin to ravish her and she moans loudly. Her fingers find my hair and it only heightens my arousal. I suck on her clit and she cries out.

"Christian!" Her fingers tighten in my hair and she tries to pull my face closer.

I pull back a little and look up at her. "Easy, baby. I'll tie you to the desk."

She whimpers and rolls her head to the side. "Sorry, sir. Please don't stop. I'll be good."

I dip back down and continue while she massages the top of my head with her fingers. Every once in awhile, they flex, but she keeps to her word and doesn't pull me closer. As she convulses through her orgasm and screams my name, I lap her up and don't stop until she's spent and panting. I kiss my way up her stomach and reach up to knead both of her breasts.

She gasps as I pinch her nipples and pull. "Mmm, sir..." Her back arches as I pull and release them.

"You like that, baby?"

She nods against the wood of the desk. "Yes, sir."

I keep playing, pinching harder, the longer I play with them, and she keeps getting louder. "Do you like when I play rough?"

She's panting and her hips wiggle. "Yes, sir."

"Do you want me make your ass pink, Anastasia?"

She whimpers. "Please, sir."

I stand to take off my belt. "Let me see that ass, baby." She rolls so that her feet are on the floor and she's bent over the desk.

"Here. Hold this." I drape my belt over her naked ass while I slip off my jacket and unzip my pants, pulling my shirt free. I notice that her thigh and pussy muscles keep clenching and I grin.

I take the belt, slowly dragging it off of her skin and place it on the desk next to her. Since this is for pleasure, I want to warm her skin up first.

I grip her ass in both hands and start to knead and massage, warming her skin. I then spank her a few times, making it light pink.

"Oh, Christian, please!"

I smile and squeeze her backside again. "So impatient, Miss Steele."

I pick up my belt and double it over, yanking it in both hands, making it snap. She almost jumps out of her skin and I have to keep myself from laughing.

"You sure this is what you want?"

She nods and her forehead hits the wood with a thud. "Yes! Please, sir!"

"What are your safewords, Anastasia?"

"Yellow and red!" She almost shouts, unable to hide her excitement.

"That's my good girl."

I decide to start easy and swing my hand back and bring it forward, it landing smack dab in the middle of her ass.

She moans. "Oh, yes..." Her ass wiggles and I bring the belt down hard.

She cries out and I still, worried I hit her too hard.

She's panting and she looks back at me. "Please don't stop!"

I hide my look of surprise by licking her skin with the belt a few more times, alternating cheeks and them hitting them both.

"Oh, yes, Christian! So good..."

I continue to whip her and she continues to egg me on with her moaning and mewling. Her ass is red and welted, and a part of me is screaming for me to stop, but she keeps begging me to continue. I tell myself only a few more, when I hear her cry out.

"Sir! I'm...I'm...FUCK!" Her whole body starts to convulse and I realize she's coming. I bring the belt to her backside once more to heighten her orgasm and then drop it to the floor so I can pull my dick out of my pants. There is no fucking way I'm going to stop now. I'm so fucking hard, it hurts.

I step up behind her and slip into her as she relaxes and begin to pound into her. I lower my pants to my thighs so I can feel her warm backside against me.

"So tight, baby. I won't last long." I warn, gripping her hips. I keep my eyes on her backside and it causes my dick to twitch.

She shakes her head. "Me either. You feel...too good." She states, panting. _God,_ I love how she feeds my ego.

"I need you to come, Anastasia." I feel her start to flutter. "That's it, baby. Squeeze me tight." I reach up and slip my hand between her breast and the wood and squeeze her nipple. Her body arches off the desk and she obeys; I free-fall soon after.

XxXxXx

We decide to grab lunch at the cafe across from Grey House and are just about to finish up. I know I can't put this off any longer.

"Ana...there is something I want to discuss with you."

She fidgets in her seat and winces, making me grin. I'm sure her ass is on fire right now. She scowls playfully at me and I chuckle, reaching across the table to hold her hand.

She tucks her hair behind her ear and looks up at me, uncertain.

"I don't feel comfortable with you going home tonight. I don't trust Liam. I want you to stay with me."

She blinks a few times and her eyebrows knit together. "You want me to..."

"Live with me." I finish, squeezing her hand.

Her eyebrows raise in surprise and she picks up her tea, taking a deep drink. I think she's trying to give herself some time to process this, but I'm impatient. I need her to say yes.

"Ana...baby, I need to know you're safe. I won't be able to sleep tonight unless you're with me. Sleeping is so much easier when we share a bed. Please, Anastasia."

She still looks surprised, but now I think it's because I'm actually begging her. _Don't get use to it, babe._

She sets her cup down and chews her lip for a moment. "I guess we'll need to stop by my apartment to get some clothes then."

I give her a pantie-dropper smile and stand. "We better get going then, Miss Steele."

She giggles and picks up her handbag before standing. "I guess we better."

I take her hand and we venture back to Grey House's garage. Before opening the door for her, I pull her in for a long, deep kiss.

"Thank you."

A grin forms on her face. "You're welcome...but you're more than welcome to thank me again later..."

I chuckle and open the door for her. "Get in sassy-pants." I say, playing on her words from yesterday.

This causes her to start giggling and by the time I'm back in the driver's seat, she's still laughing.

"Am I that amusing, Miss Steele?"

"I'm sorry, Christian. It's just so unlike you to use something like that." She smiles at me.

"You must have rubbed off on me, then."

She bites her lip and looks down at her lap. "I like it."

 _And shy Ana is back._

XxXxXx

She pulls her keys out of her handbag as we pull up to her apartment building. It's an old brick building and I wonder if it's even up to code.

"It's a fourth floor walk-up..." She mentions, cringing, once we're inside.

 _There isn't even a fucking elevator?_ I take a deep breath. "I think I can handle a few floors, Anastasia."

She nods and starts her way up the stairs. I watch her ass the whole way up, imagining how pink it still is, making it seem like an easy four flights. We stop in front of the white door that says "4D" in black metal. She slips her key in and opens it, allowing me in first.

I take in her tiny apartment. White walls, Ikea furniture, shelf after shelf of books, and ugly vertical blinds in front of a sliding glass door that leads to a tiny balcony. I cringe. _This_ is where she lives? There is no way in hell I would have ever let her stay here.

"My bedroom is in here..." She opens the door and I see that her bedroom is decorated in shades of gray. I almost laugh at the irony. Her walls are even a dark gray color. Better than white. I can see that she put most of her money and effort into her bedroom instead of the rest of the apartment.

The toilet flushes and we both look at one another, wide-eyed. I put my finger to my lips and close the door most of the way, leaving it cracked enough to look.

The bathroom sink runs before I hear it creak off. I look back at her and point to the corner behind her door. I want her hidden if this person opens the door. She takes my direction and chews on her thumbnail, nervous.

I hear footsteps down the hall and they sound heavy, the strides long. It's a male. He comes into view and my blood boils.

Liam Sorrento. _What. The. Fuck._

I pull the door open and start towards him, surprising him. "What the fuck do you think you're doing here?"

"Where is Anastasia?"

I take him around his collar and knock off his ridiculous hat. "That's none of your fucking business. Why are you here?"

He grabs my wrist. "Step the fuck off, Grey. I have a key. I need to talk to _my_ sub."

"She's no sub of yours." I tell him, gritting through my teeth. I want to kill this fucker already.

He tries to step around me, but I refuse to let him, and hold firmly to his collar. "Let go. I need to speak with Anastasia."

"You _need_ to leave. She's now mine and doesn't have permission to speak to you." I push him and he takes a few steps back.

His hands clench into firsts. "We have a contract."

"You broke your contract weeks ago, Sorrento."

"She's mine."

I shake my head. "Get out."

He starts toward her bedroom again and I step between him and the door. "I said get out!"

He pushes me and my back hits the door and I see red. I punch him square in the nose and I hear a satisfying crunch as my fist connects. He doubles over, holding his nose and I'm surprised at how easily he gave up.

I laugh. "That's all it takes? You are nothing, but a pussy who beats on tiny women because you don't have the balls to face your sexuality!"

"Shut. Up." He looks up at me from his bent position.

"Get. Out." I retort. He's a poor excuse for not only a dom, but a man.

He slowly stands up. "When will you ever learn, Grey?"

 _What the hell does that mean?_

He lunges and knocks me on my back and we end up on the floor, wrestling. Limbs are flying, fists are connecting to faces, stomachs, and chests. Hands are grabbing at throats and arms are dodging fists and fighting for the dominant position. Finally, I get him under me and start beating the shit out of him. His face is a bloody mess, but I don't stop. I can't stop. I want to kill the fucker.

"You like Anastasia in red, do you? Well, you look pretty damn good yourself, you fucker!" I connect to his cheekbone again and his arms go limp.

"Christian!" Anastasia yells and grabs my arm from behind me.

My arm stills and I look down at the fucker, whose eyes are closed, before looking back at my girl. My chest is heaving as I try to suck air into my lungs and Anastasia is crying.

I blink a few times and clear my throat. "I'm fine. Go pack a small bag so we can get out of here." She looks unsure that I won't start up again, so I stand and leave him laying there.

She backs up into her room and closes it behind her. _Fuck._ Is she scared of me?

I notice that both hands are covered in blood and I step over to the small kitchen to clean myself up. My knuckles are cracked and bleeding, but they'll be fine. I use a paper towel and wipe my face clean, checking my reflection in the microwave. My lip is bloody, my eyebrow is cut open, and there's a little blood coming out of my nose. _Mother fucker._ I'll probably have to work from home again this week.

I pull out my phone and call Taylor.

"Yes, sir."

"We're at Anastasia's. Sorrento was here when we got here and we got into it. He's on the floor comatose. I need him taken care of."

"He's breathing, sir?"

"What? Yes, of course he's breathing! I'll send you the address. Just get him taken care of and lock up her apartment. We're leaving."

I hang up and send him her address via text.

I clean up my face once more and hear her bedroom door creak open. I turn and she's standing there, looking unsure, with a small bag in her hand. She looks down at Sorrento and chews her lip.

"Taylor is going to take care of him. Let's go." I offer my hand to her and she stares at it for a second before slowly reaching for it.

"I'm sorry you had to see that, Ana. Let's just go home, okay?" I squeeze her hand lightly and she nods slowly. I take her bag from her and we make our way out of the apartment and down to the car.

Once we're in, I pull down the vanity mirror and check myself again. I look rough. The fucker did a good job. _I did better._ I notice that I'm still bleeding and that my white button-down has blood spots across it.

I push the visor back up, relax into the seat and sigh. I look over at her and she has a dejected look in her eyes.

"You'll clean me up when we get home, won't you?" I need her to take care of me.

She gives me a nod. "Yes, of course, Christian."

"Good." I give her a small smile before turning the car on.


	3. The Shift

I lie awake on Monday morning, waiting for Anastasia's alarm. My lip still hurts, I have a terrible headache, and I'm having a hell of a time trying to breathe through my nose.

Last night, Anastasia helped clean me up and even got the blood stains out of my white button-down before making us dinner. Dinner was quiet and she went to bed early. She let me hold her while we slept, but she's been distant since Sorrento showed his ugly face. I need to know what is going through her mind. I don't like this. She's right here, but I find myself missing her, because she's checked out.

My first thought is to beat it out of her, but I know that is the absolute worst thing I could do in this situation. I need to be gentle and patient with her so that I can coax it out of her instead of beating it out of her.

Her alarm finally goes off at 6:30 and she reaches over to turn off the alarm on her cell, but I refuse to let her go.

"Ana, I want to speak to you before you get up."

She turns towards me and tucks her hands under her chin so that she doesn't touch my no-go zone. Her eyes concentrate on my chest, refusing to look at me. "What is it, sir?"

I frown. Her tone is robotic. "I want to know what is going through your mind right now. I know you're upset about last night and I want to know why. Are you upset that I hurt him?"

Her brows furrow and she chews her lip. Her hair is all over and I reach up and smooth her hair away from her face.

"I...no. I'm sorry, sir. I didn't mean to act different. I won't do it anymore."

I clench my jaw. "That isn't the point, Anastasia. I want to know why you're upset." I want her to speak freely...I want her to trust me.

I take a deep breath and pull her on top of me, surprising her. Her head is on my chest and I can feel her breasts pushing against my ribs. _This isn't half bad._ It's a pity she has a shirt on.

"Christian...you don't have to-"

"Shh...I want to. Just don't use your hands." My voice is a little strangled while I try to get use to it. It's an odd feeling...but it isn't bad. I remember having her head on my chest while she slept through the movie last week. It didn't hurt and neither does this. I begin to rub her back up and down and I feel her relax against me.

"That's my girl." I nuzzle the top of her head and breathe her in. "Now...please speak freely, Anastasia. You can trust me, baby. Please know that."

She shrugs against me and nuzzles her nose into my chest hair.

"Are you scared of me?"

She takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. "I just...I don't know. It's hard to explain."

"Try, baby."

"I was always scared of Liam, because he seemed like the strongest man in the world...and then you come in and do... _that_ to him...it just shocked me."

My eyebrows knit together. "I don't understand."

"I guess...I guess what I'm saying is that if he has the strength to do all that...then what are you capable of?" She's upset again.

"I'm not capable of that. I could never do that to you."

She looks up at me for the first time. "But you were so angry...what if I-"

"You could never." I answer, cutting her off. She frowns, looking unsure. "I was angry because he hurt you and because he wanted to hurt you more. I was protecting you Anastasia. No one touches what is mine. I've told you this. My number one priority is keeping you safe. I asked him more than once to leave, but he wouldn't. Then he lunged at me and I had no choice. It isn't like I went in throwing punches. It was also self-defense."

I can see her mind working it over.

"Nothing has changed between you and me, Ana. We're still the same people we were yesterday, before Sorrento interrupted. You're my angel, baby. I could never hurt you like that." I never want to tear off those beautiful wings of hers.

A small smile forms on her face. "I'm sorry, Christian."

I grin at her and kiss the top of her head lightly, remembering my cut lip. "Don't be sorry, Anastasia. Just promise that from now on, if something is bothering you, that you'll talk to me."

She nods against my chest. "I will." She reaches behind her for my right hand and she brings my cut knuckles to her lips, kissing each one. My breathing accelerates, but I try to ignore it. There's no time to bury myself into her this morning. I still have questions.

"Good. There's one more thing before I let you go."

"Yes?" She releases my hand and her lips connect to one of my burn scars. I gasp and flinch. She stops and begins to panic, trying to climb off of me. I hold her against me.

"Stop. Lie still. It just surprised me."

"I didn't mean to hurt you, Christian."

I shake my head and look up at her. "You didn't. Please lie back down." She does as I ask and relaxes against me. "I want to know why you'd give Sorrento a key."

"I didn't."

"Then how?"

"I was thinking about that...I remember losing my key after coming home from his house one weekend. I had to get the manager to let me in so I could get my spare key. I bet he took it off of my keyring."

I frown. _Bastard._ He made sure she didn't have a way to hide from him. Luckily, she'll never have to go back there. I'll have a company pack up her things and bring them here.

I sigh and try to push it out of my head for now. I look at the clock and see that it's getting late. "You better go get dressed. I'd ask you to stay home from work and nurse me back to health, but I'd imagine that it would piss them off if you did."

She giggles and climbs out of bed. "You are right about that."

"Sawyer will be here when you're ready to leave. He'll take you to work and keep a look out." Taylor dropped Sorrento off at the hospital last night and hospital security let him know that Sorrento was released from the ED four hours later. I was hoping to admit the fucker to ICU. If Anastasia hadn't stopped me, he might have been.

I lay in bed while she showers and dresses, answering emails on my blackberry. I let Ros and Andrea know that I will be working from home, but if something happens, to let me know and I will be there. Ros isn't happy with me since she is gone, too, but I don't feel like having everyone around the office starting rumors. I know if I go in, I'll probably fire a few of them for even looking at me wrong. I'm pissed that Sorrento has interfered with my work life. The more I sit and think about it, the angrier I get, until Anastasia steps out of the bathroom.

I take in her appearance. Her long, dark hair is down in waves; she's wearing a navy and white striped shirt with a navy blazer and dark beige pants. My eyes fall to her feet, looking to see what flats she chose, and my eyes almost pop out of my head. She is wearing navy blue pin-up heels.

"Holy fuck, Anastasia!" I hop out of bed. "I didn't know you owned heels!" My erection is growing in my pajama pants.

She giggles at my reaction. "I do...I just chose not to bring any on vacation."

I continue to stare at her heels. _I want to fuck her in those._

"I take it, you like?" She asks, pulling her pant legs up so I can see the full shoe.

"Oh, fuck yes." I make my way over and pull her to me and take advantage of the decrease in height difference and kiss her hard. My lip is on fire, but I don't give a shit. I am one horny bastard at the moment. I pull back and look at her, pushing my hard-on against her. "Oh, baby...I can't wait to buy you more of those. We're going to have so much fun."

Her eyes widen. "Wow...if I would have known it would make you act like this...I would have packed more."

Should I tell her that she'll be coming home to a whole new wardrobe? _Nah._ I'll let it be a surprise. That reminds me...I need to sort through all the pictures Caroline sent me so she can get everything packed and sent. I think I'm going to request a few more pair of shoes.

Suddenly, my day looks very busy. _I better get her moving._

"Come on, Miss Steele. I'll walk you to the elevator." I'll grab her a muffin on the way.

XxXxXx

I spend my day in my office, going over everything for her wardrobe. I make sure she has plenty of shoes, accessories, lingerie, and clothing. I haven't seen her in but one dress, but Caroline knows I prefer them, so I wonder if Anastasia will like them. I like how feminine they are and the ease of access is a definite plus. Around 2:00pm, Neiman Marcus sends over three employees to get the wardrobe and beauty products organized and put away and I make sure that Gail oversees everything they do while I hide in my office. I don't feel like dealing with any of them.

By 5:00pm, they are done and Gail gives me a tour of my own closet. My clothes are now all on one side, with her brand new wardrobe on the opposite side. The closet now smells like the department store and it gives me a high knowing that I was able to do this for my girl. She takes me into the bathroom and I see that the never used vanity is now filled with beauty products. She opens the drawers to show me how well everything is organized, but there is so much makeup, that all I can think is that I hope Anastasia doesn't wear all of this at once.

I try to go into my office and get some work done while I wait for her to come home, but I'm too giddy. My heart feels like it's going to beat out of my chest. My phone vibrates in my pocket and I hurry to look, hoping it's Anastasia stating she's coming home.

The text is from her, but it isn't the news I was hoping.

 ** _*Hey, Christian. Looks like I'll be late tonight. Jack is in a mood and wants me to stay late to finish this manuscript. It should only take another hour or so.*_**

I frown. Why the fuck is she doing his work?

 ** _*Okay, baby. Don't be too late. Keep Sawyer close.*_**

I don't trust this Jack fucker. My mind keeps going back to the image of her in those beige pants and hot little heels and it pisses me off that he's there, seeing it live. I send a text to Sawyer, telling him to watch him closely and to let me know if anything feels off, and then I send an email to my research team, asking them for all the info they can get on SIP, including the background checks on all the employees. I want all the information I can get on this place. I want to know what I'm dealing with in case I need to swoop in and take it so that I can fire that fucker.

I can't concentrate enough to get any real work done, so instead, I work on my schedule, changing the face-to-face meetings this week to Skype meetings. Hopefully, I can hide the marks on my face a little better that way. When I'm finished, I laugh, realizing that I probably just added twenty minutes of confusion to Andrea's morning tomorrow. Usually, she's the only one that messes with my schedule. She won't know what hit her when she comes in. I decide to be nice and send her an email, explaining what I did so that she doesn't have a breakdown in the morning.

My phone vibrates again; it's another text from Anastasia.

 ** _*I've broken out! *winks* Sawyer is bringing me home in the getaway car as we speak. X*_**

This makes me laugh. My girl is playful tonight. I can't wait to get her home and show her all the goodies I got her.

Taylor gives me a heads up when he gets the alert that someone has entered the garage and I'm standing in the foyer with two glasses of wine like an idiot when the doors open.

A large smile appears on my girls face when she sees me standing there and it puts me at ease. She makes her way over to me and kisses me before I hand her a glass.

"This is some welcome home, Christian...much better than coming home to a dark, empty apartment."

I chuckle as she follows me into the kitchen, where she sets her handbag on the counter and takes a sip of her wine.

"I've got a surprise for you, Anastasia."

Her eyebrows shoot up. "You do?" She smiles. "What is it?"

I take her empty hand and pull her towards the bedroom.

"Oh, I think I'm going to like this surprise..."

I laugh and shake my head. "It has nothing to do with that..." When I see her pout, I add, "but we can add that at the end if you'd like."

She nods. "Yes, sir. I'd like."

When we make it to the bedroom, I cover her eyes with my hand and walk her into the closet. I bring her to the middle of the room and turn both of us so that her half of the closet is right in front of her.

"Ready?" I ask.

She's beaming. "Yes! Let me see, Christian!"

I uncover her eyes and she blinks a few times before her eyes adjust enough to take it in. Her eyes turn into big, blue saucers and her hands fly up to cover her open mouth.

"Christian..." She's breathless and I can't tell if she likes it or not. My heart begins to beat out of my chest.

"You don't like it?"

She shakes her head quickly and removes her hands from her mouth. "No, I absolutely love it! I...you do know that I'm not with you because of this right? I care for you." She wraps her arms around my hips and looks up at me. "You are so loving and caring, Christian. You are everything I could ever want...your money has no merit when it comes to my feelings for you."

I grin at her and rub her back up and down. "I know, baby...and I love that about you. I want to do this. My job is to take care of you. I want to dress you up and spoil you."

She bites her lip and smiles. "Thank you, Christian. I love it. I want to dress up for you, sir."

I love that Ana wants to please me. She deserves everything I do for her. I want to give her the world.

I give her a tour, showing her her wardrobe, shoes, lingerie, watches, sunglasses, accent jewelry, and the section that houses lingerie and shoes for my private playroom collection. That last bit earned me a mouth-fucking, right in the middle of the closet as a thank you.

I pick out a light pink babydoll nightie that has black lace overlay on the bodice and bottom hem and black matching panties for her to wear for bed and we head into the bathroom so I can continue to show her what I bought. I hang her lingerie on the back of the bathroom door and show her the vanity, opening drawers like Gail did and explaining where everything is. I tell her she's got new shampoo and conditioner specifically blended for her hair color, length, and thickness as well as every type of skin care imaginable. She looks overwhelmed.

"I know it's a lot, Anastasia. You'll get use to it soon."

She nods.

"Let's run a bath and get you into your nightwear and we'll have dinner before I bring you back in here and have my wicked way with you." I want to fuck her in that nightie.

A shy smile forms on her face and she nods. "Yes, sir."

XxXxXx

After some pleading, pouting, and a few firm strokes of my dick from Anastasia, our bath turned into full blown bubble bath equipped with lavender and chamomile. She even had me light a few candles and I can practically feel my balls shrinking up my asshole as my masculinity basically becomes nonexistent. I'll have to shower in the morning to get the smell of this shit off of me. The annoyance I feel is starting to dissipate the longer we're in, and I don't know if it's because I've got my girl naked, between my legs or if the calming lavender and chamomile is actually starting to have an effect on me.

"This is perfect, Christian." She mentions, playing with the bubbles in front of her. "This whole night has been perfect. Who knew Mr. Grey was into romance."

I snort. "I'm not."

She looks back at me and raises an eyebrow. "And what is all this?"

"Coercion."

She tries to look shocked and put off, but her giggle gives it away. "I did no such thing! I used sweet talk and touching; there was no force or threat of any kind!"

"The silent threat of being cockblocked later was enough to coerce me into this tub of flowery-smelling shit. My ass is going to smell like a flower for a week now."

Her head falls back with a belly-laugh. "It could smell of a lot worse things, Mr. Grey. Why do you have the bubble bath if you don't like the way it smells?"

"I like the way it smells...on you. I might enjoy the smell if I was, say, doing something like eating you or fucking the daylights out of you."

"I recant my romance comment." She tells me dryly, making me laugh. I love her sassy side and I'm enjoying this light banter back and forth.

"Hmm...that's too bad, Miss Steele. I was just about to lift you out of this bath, dress you in satin and lace, feed you, and carry you back to our bed so I could make love to you. Now, you'll have to drag your own ass out of the bath, dress yourself, and after we eat, I'll drag you back to bed so I can fuck you into oblivion."

She pouts. "Maybe you should prove me wrong and show me just how romantic you can be..."

I chuckle and kiss her temple. "You want me to take care of you, Ana?"

She nods and looks up at me. "Please, sir."

Her big, blue doe eyes blink up at me and I see the conviction in her eyes. She's officially announced that she wants me to be her caretaker. _This is exactly what I need._ There is nothing I enjoy more than taking care of my girl.

I smile and kiss her nose. "Good. I need this, baby."

She smiles. "I know. I do, too."

I am so in love with this girl. She couldn't be more perfect for me, if she tried. The thought scares the shit out of me. Will I ever tell her? I don't know. Love creates soft spots and weaknesses. Anastasia has become my weakness and I'm scared to death she's going to bring me to my knees.

We are all searching for someone whose demons play well with ours and hers are like sirens, luring mine out to the dark, watery depths. She's the biggest risk I have ever taken, and yet, I know I can't stay away from her. I crave her; she's my addiction. I know it's probably not healthy, but since when do I give a shit about what's good for my well-being? I feel like being with her puts me on the path of self-destruction; as soon as she realizes how fucked up I really am...how fucked up my past is...she'll probably run. I'm sure she doesn't realize just how harsh I was to my past subs. I was no Liam, but I certainly wasn't like I am with her. I worry that I'm going to fuck up enough to scare her off. Last night seemed to scare her and I hadn't even touched her.

I shake my head from my thoughts and stand and step out, grabbing a towel.

"Up." She rises out of the water and I wrap the big towel around her small frame and lift her out of the bath, placing her on the rug next to me. I dry her off while she stands quietly, her eyes roaming over my still-naked body.

Once I finish with her, I wrap the towel around my waist and secure it before retrieving her babydoll off the back of the door. As I'm putting it on her, I feel my appreciation grow behind the towel. _He never gives up._

Anastasia must notice it, too because she smiles and says, "Dinner might be cut short, sir."

I smile and kneel down, holding open her lacy, black panties. I don't know why I'm bothering...they won't be on long. She steps into them, using my shoulders as support, and when I get them up her legs and in place, I snap them against her skin, making her bite her lip hard.

"Thank you, sir."

"You're welcome, Anastasia. Come. Let's get your robe." I told Mrs. Jones to steer clear tonight so that Ana and I could have another night alone, but I don't want to take any risks. I want to be the only one seeing her in lingerie; I don't know how I'd react if Taylor got a glimpse of her. He'd probably find himself blind or dickless by morning.

I slip on some pajama pants while we're in the closet and head into the kitchen for a quick dinner.

"Where's Mrs. Jones?" Anastasia asks in the kitchen.

"She's retired for the evening. You'll meet her tomorrow. I wanted tonight to be ours since we didn't get to have much of one last night."

She nods and begins to plate our food for us. Mrs. Jones had left some soup and homemade bread for us. We eat quickly, both of us eager to fall into bed. I catch her sneaking glances at me and I can't help, but do the same to her. She looks so good in that black, silk robe with her hair in a high bun on top of her head.

As soon as she puts her spoon down, I'm on her, picking her up and kissing her while she wraps her soft legs around my waist. This is the first day since being together that we haven't had sex by lunch. My dick is throbbing in my pants; he feels neglected.

My mouth is glued to hers the whole way in and she manages to shed the robe before we make it to the bedroom. It drops to the floor somewhere, but neither of us care where.

I throw her on the bed and follow, covering her body with mine so I can kiss her again. Her fingers find my hair and I deepen the kiss, determined to take my time. My hands roam over her body, kneading and caressing and her hips begin to grind against the throb in my pants.

I pull away from our kiss to look down at her and I see that she's wide-eyed and flushed. Her lips are red and swollen and her chest is heaving. Her lip becomes trapped between her teeth and I see a look in her eyes I've never seen before.

"What is it, baby? Tell me how you feel."

Her flush spreads down her neck and to the tops of her breasts and I groan.

"I feel...like it's our first time...like I'm a teenager again who's never..." She shakes her head and closes her eyes. "I've got butterflies in my stomach and my heart is pounding."

I smile, knowing she can feel the shift in our relationship, too. We've both outlined our need tonight and, even though we were basically already in our roles, it feels more official...more intimate and real. I need to take care of her tonight. I want to go slow, take my time, and show her how much I need and respect her.

"This time feels different to me, too, baby. Just relax. I'll take care of you." My lips attach to hers again, hoping to ease her thundering heartbeat that I can feel against my own. A nervous kind of excitement has grown in my own chest and, like she said, I feel like a teenager who's new to this intimacy.

My fingers find their way to her panties and I slowly slide them down enough to slip my finger into her slit. She moans against my lips when it finds her wet center and she opens wider for me.

"That's my girl." I whisper, breaking the kiss. I raise a little so that I can watch her as I play.

I press my middle finger into her and she gasps and her eyes hood. "That feels so good." Her voice is quiet and breathy, making my cock twitch.

I swirl my finger, caressing her walls, and watch her eyes roll back into her head, then close.

"Does that feel good, baby?" She nods, her eyes still closed. "Do you want me to add another?" Again, a nod.

My index finger joins the middle and her mouth forms a silent 'oh'. I slide down her body and my mouth finds her clit, sucking lightly.

"Christian..." She sighs my name and grips the bedsheets. My tongue dips and flicks against her bundle of nerves and I suck again, watching her as she falls over the edge.

I rise to my knees and slip her panties down past her feet before slipping my own pants off. Her knees bend and she opens so that I can lay down, nestled between her legs.

"Are you ready for me?" I ask, pulling her hair free from its tie and smoothing it around her face.

"Yes, Christian. I need you."

I keep my pace slow and steady and press my forehead against hers so I see nothing, but her deep, blue eyes.

This is how our first time should have been. Guilt bubbles in my chest. I lacked any sort of control with her those first couple of days. Now that I've wrapped my head around the fact that she's mine and I'll get to bury myself inside of her all over again tomorrow, my control has been much easier to come by.

"My sweet girl." Over the past few days together I've noticed that her body becomes more responsive when I talk during sex. I don't know if it's my voice or the words...possibly both...but I love watching the way she reacts to me.

She whimpers. "Yours, Christian. Only yours." Her hips start to move with mine.

I smile. "Wrap your legs around me, baby. Let me feel them."

She does and I slip in deeper, causing her to moan.

"Oh, Ana. You're so tight, baby. You feel so good."

She bites her lip. "Like heaven." She mentions. "Your my own piece of heaven, Christian."

I swallow back my emotion and feel her start to throb around me. Her brow creases and she looks upset.

"It's okay, Ana. Come for me."

She shakes her head. "I don't want you to stop."

"I won't. I promise. Let go, baby. It feels so good when you come...for both of us."

Her chin tilts towards the ceiling and she clamps down on me as she starts to shake. I have to still my movements to keep from coming, myself.

Once she's relaxed and the urge to come has subsided, I start up again. Her hips meet mine again, and this time her thrusts are stronger...wild.

I still on top of her and encourage her. "Keep going baby. Use my dick to get yourself off." Seeing her thrust wildly below me is so fucking sexy and feels so fucking good. I part of me wishes I could flip us over and let her ride me, but I can't.

She pants and mewls below me and I can see that she's getting frustrated.

"Help me, Christian."

"Always, baby." My hips begin to move and her mewls get louder. She wraps her legs around me again and lets me control our lovemaking.

It doesn't take her long to come and when she does, I come with her.

I collapse against her and relax my head against her chest while we recuperate. Her fingers massage my scalp and I find myself having to fight sleep. I force myself up so that I can retrieve a warm rag to clean her before I slip her black panties back on her body. I slip on my pajama pants while she's laying in bed and I catch a glimpse of her backside.

"Ana...did I do that?" Her ass is bruised and I feel sick to my stomach.

She looks at me and sees that I'm staring at her backside and cranes to look before wiggling it at me.

"It was the belt."

I yank at my hair and begin to pace. _Fuck!_ I knew I went too far! Why didn't I listen to myself?

She sits up. "Baby, come to bed, it doesn't hurt."

The name she used for me stops me in my tracks. It sounds like heaven coming from her lips.

I climb onto the bed. "Baby?" I question.

She blushes. "I'm sorry, sir. I promise I won't-"

"No, I like it." I cut her off. I don't want her to stop.

She smiles. "Good." She lays back against her pillows and pulls the duvet over her. "Hold me, Christian. I'm cold."

I slip into my spot and lie down, opening my arm. "Come here. Just be aware of your hands."

She grins and slides over to me, resting her head against my chest. Her arm rests across my abdomen and her hand grips the sheets on the opposite side of me. I stroke her hair and her arm coaxing her to sleep while I replay the last thirty minutes in my head.

I want to see her unrestrained and free on top of me...but I don't know if I can make that plunge. The only time a woman rode me like that was when I was sixteen, with Elena. She came so violently that she fell forward and both of her hands ended up on my chest. I threw her off and she ended up in a pile on the floor at the foot of the bed. Even though she violated a hard limit, I was punished severely for it. Just the thought makes my asshole hurt and my balls burn.

I shake my head, vanishing the memory and concentrate on my Ana. Nothing about her touch hurts. With her, I only feel pleasure. She won't hurt me or punish me for my limits.

I run my hands over her body softly, caressing her arms, her face, her back and stomach. Once I'm sure she's warm and asleep, I let myself drift off.


	4. Run Little Girl

**A/N: I want to thank all of you for your patience and support while I took some time off while we mourned and buried our 20 year old niece. It was the hardest thing I have ever gone through and it's nice to get back to work and writing and back to normalcy in general.** **pinterest: NineN3Quarters**

We're driving through Seattle on the way to Bellevue to spend Sunday at my parents. I very rarely go, but Anastasia has promised my mother we'd be there. I have a feeling this is going to be an every Sunday thing. If she wasn't living with me, I would have thrown a fit about it cutting into our kinky-fuckery, but since I can have her any time I see fit, I'll allow Sunday's to become family day. As long as she's with me, I honestly don't mind it that much.

We actually haven't even been back to the playroom since last weekend. I'm not sure if I've become a lazy fucker or an impatient one, and just take her in our bed or shower...or on the counter... or office. I grin at the thought. I've become insatiable when it comes to Miss Steele and found myself needing to stop when I noticed her wincing yesterday in mid-fuck. I know she wants to please me, but I don't want her getting hurt over it. I need her to enjoy it as much as I do. We haven't fucked in over twenty-four hours and my dick keeps asking me what the hell is going on. He'll just have to wait. My baby is sore.

At the red light, I take my eyes off the road and glance over at her. She's dressed in a sweet little mint green dress with purple flowers, a matching cardigan, and lavender shoes to match. I brought someone in earlier this week to do her nails and she had picked a lavender, inspiring my choice in outfit.

Her hair is up in what she calls a messy-bun that took her fifteen minutes to do. By the looks of it, I could probably accomplish the same thing in under a minute...but it looks good on her. I like when she shows off that slender neck. I look down at her manicured, lavender nails and see that she's wringing her hands. I place my hand over hers to calm her.

"What is it, Anastasia?"

The light turns green and I have to let go of of her hands, but I see that she's fiddling with her fingers now.

"I'm nervous."

My eyebrows knit together. "Why?" _Where is this coming from?_

"Because they're your parents." She says quietly, blushing.

"Okay...baby, I don't understand. You've been there hundreds of times."

She concentrates on her fingers and chews her lip. "I know...but this time I'm not going just as a friend of Mia's...I'm going as your girlfriend."

I can't help my chuckle and her head snaps up and she frowns at me. "I'm sorry, baby...but nothing has changed. They're still the same Grace and Carrick you spent vacation with last week."

"But what if they decide I'm not good enough for you and they start to hate me?"

"They love you, Ana. They probably love you even more, now that we're together."

A small smile forms on her face. "I hope so."

"Don't worry, baby. I promise it will all be okay." She isn't supposed to worry about such things. It is my job to take away her worries.

She gives me a smile and slips her hand in the crease of my elbow and looks out her window. I'm glad to see I've calmed her down. Once I'm up to a level speed, I push her dress up past her knee and rest my hand on her thigh.

XxXxXx

As we pull up to my parents' house, I can see Ana start to fidget again. When I open her door for her and help her out, I stop her.

"Relax. Take a deep breath and let it out." I wait for her to do so. I don't understand why she's so nervous. "Good girl. If you get anxious or upset, just take my hand."

She nods and reaches for my hand, making me chuckle. I slip my hand into hers and she squeezes it tight between both of hers, while we make our way inside.

"Christian! Ana! I'm so glad you've come!" My mother opens the door as we make our way up the walk and I begin to wonder how long she has been standing there, waiting for us.

"Hello, Mom." I lean down and kiss her cheek before she turns away from me so that I can give her one of those awkward hugs. I know she craves the closeness, but I know I can't deal with her facing me, yet. I've just gotten use to Ana's body and head against my no-go zone and I'm not in the mood to push it at the moment. I know my mother will get greedy when it happens and I don't want to be in a pissy mood today.

When I release her, she hugs Ana tight, making my girl giggle. "Thank you for dragging Christian along. You seem to be our little Christian-whisperer."

I roll my eyes. I am not _that_ pussy whipped.

"More like Christian-tamer..." Anastasia cheeks, giggling.

"Ana!" I growl, shocked.

She smiles and hides behind my mother, the only thing sticking out from above her shoulder are her eyes. _Looks like the so-called 'Christian-tamer' is no longer._

My mother laughs. "Oh, Christian. She was only joking. Come to the dining room and say hello to everyone." She grabs my hand and spins me in the direction of the dining room. Anastasia follows behind us and I look behind me, raising my eyebrow at my sassy-ass girlfriend. She gives me a sweet smile and lip bite that only makes my palm itch more.

When we get to the dining room, my eyes meet hard, green ones and I feel my heart grow glacial. My body stiffens and I feel myself raising to my full dom height. Anastasia must see the difference in me, because her hand quickly finds mine and I feel her cheek press against my bicep.

I ignore the green-eyed monster and shake my father's hand, greeting him.

He greets Ana and she reluctantly comes out of her hiding spot behind my arm to greet my father and give him a hug.

"Glad you two could make it, Ana. It's about time he find someone that forces the workaholic to step away for a few hours."

Ana smiles. "I think you two are giving me far too much credit, Mr. Grey."

I snort. "You aren't going to make that cheeky comment again?"

She blushes and smiles down at the ground.

"What?" My father asks, curious.

"She told Mom that she was the Christian-tamer."

My father laughs. "That's one way of putting it, Ana."

I roll my eyes playfully and hold my hand out for Anastasia to take. I'm about to turn to go find my sister, when the bitch speaks.

"Christian...so nice to see you."

"Hello, Elena." I turn towards her and she is smiling, but her eyes are hard. She's angry. And I don't give a shit.

"Your mother was just catching me up on everything that has happened the last couple of weeks. Told me just how...wonderful Anastasia here has been for you." Her eyes move towards Anastasia. "Hello, Anastasia."

Anastasia gives her a sweet smile. "Hello, Mrs. Lincoln. Nice to see you."

Elena tries to give me the best domme look she can and I purposely roll my eyes, showing her my defiance. She doesn't own me nor does she scare me. Anastasia takes a step closer to me and her hand slips into my front pocket, gripping it, while the other finds my hand. Her cheek finds its way back to my bicep. She's subtly staking her claim and I can't help the smile that forms on my face. I look down at her and she's looking up at me with those beautiful blue eyes, calming my rage for my mother's friend.

I lean down and kiss her forehead. "Let's go find Elliot and Kate, shall we?"

Ana nods against my bicep and we make our way out of the dining room.

I am so angry that she is here. She's here a lot, I know...but I made it clear that I didn't want to be around her. She came on purpose, knowing I wouldn't do anything in front of my parents. I can tell that Anastasia is uncomfortable and so am I. I want her gone. I know I can't do anything about it tonight, so I'll just have to play buffer all fucking night between her and Anastasia.

We make our way to the family room and find Elliot, his bimbo, Male Kavanagh, and Mia sitting while they play X-Box. Mia looks towards us and then does a double take before frowning.

"Ana? What are you wearing?"

Anastasia looks down at herself and back to Mia. "A dress?"

"I've never seen you in something like this. You look like a fucking doll." Mia isn't happy and I'm not sure why.

"Um...thanks? Christian dressed me today." Anastasia states, but it sounds like a warning, trying to shut Mia's big mouth up. I grin at her comment, entertained by the fact that none of them realize she's being literal. I actually dressed my girl from head to toe today and I think I did a pretty damn-good job of it! I even picked out and slipped her into her light pink lingerie beforehand. I wanted her to look innocent at first glance with sexy underneath. I take a moment to savor the deep satisfaction of knowing that the sexy part is something only I will see.

Mia exhales loudly. "Oh, I get it. You're his toy. His brand new, shiny toy."

I can feel my rage starting to bubble up again from deep in my stomach.

"What?" Anastasia asks, frowning.

"His toy, Ana. Can't you see? He dresses you up, shows you off, and then when he gets sick of you, he'll just throw you away." Mia shakes her head and clenches her fists. "Here, I thought Christian was really changing. Again, he tricked all of us. He's the same asshole he always was, throwing his money around to get what he wants."

 _...And we're back to this shit again._

"Are you crazy?" Anastasia asks, her voice an octave higher than normal.

"Are you? Do you realize he's going to crush you?"

"I'm so sick of-" Ana starts, but I feel the need to cut in.

"Mia! You and I need to have a chat."

Anastasia turns towards me, scowling. _Holy shit._

" _You_ need to let me handle this, Christian! Don't interrupt me! She was speaking to me." Her jaw is clenched and her eyes are hard. Her attitude isn't appreciated.

Before I even realize what's happening, I have grabbed her elbow and am steering her out of the family room and into the hall where I turn her toward me. I am seeing red.

"I do not appreciate your attitude, Miss Steele. It is very disrespectful to speak to me in that manner in front of my family. I do not disrespect you and I expect the same courtesy! I might not be able to put you over my knee right now, but I can think of a few other punishments that'll suffice." I growl out in little over a whisper. I cannot believe my sweet Anastasia is capable of being so rude to me. Her attitude is beyond infuriating. I understand that she is angry with Mia, but taking it out on her dom gets her nowhere except maybe the corner.

I watch as her face falls and she's now hurt. "Sir...I'm sorry. I should have never spoken to you in that manner. I hadn't meant to disrespect you." She searches my face and I can see the disappointment forming on hers. Not for me, but for herself...and my chest clenches painfully. She's too hard on herself. I wish she'd just let me deal with the punishments.

I don't want to punish her...I actually feel guilty for doing so, but I am the dom and she needs to know she's overstepped her boundaries.

I sigh and I feel my gaze becoming warmer. "After we get home, you are not to speak until morning, tell me you understand." It isn't much of a punishment, but it's enough. Spanking and whipping aren't much of a punishment, so I need to get creative.

She nods. "Yes, sir. I understand. Again, I'm sorry."

I sigh and give in, kissing her lips. "Understand that it wasn't the fact that you wanted to handle it, but the attitude that got you into this position."

She nods again. "I understand, sir. I'll be careful. I don't want to disrespect you. You are lovely, Christian. I hate that I've upset you."

I pull her towards me and rest my hands on her small hips. "I'm not upset, angel. I'll let you deal with Mia while I speak to my father about Liam."

Her eyes widen. "Yes, sir."

XxXxXx

Liam has been served with an order of protection and I feel a bit relieved. I know it probably won't stop him from trying to get to her, but at least when he does, he'll be thrown in jail. I've done a pretty good job at ignoring Elena so far, but I know that she'll try to butt in during dinner. After leaving my father's study, I go in search of Anastasia and find her standing at the counter in the kitchen with Mia and Kate while the others sit around the kitchen table drinking coffee and wine.

Mia is rolling out dough for a pie while Ana and the slag cut up apples for the filling. Either they made up or they're deciding to ignore Mia's bitchy comments for now.

I step over to the girls, ignoring Elena's gaze, and sneak up behind Anastasia, kissing her behind her ear. She squeaks and jumps a little, startled by my sudden arrival.

"Hi." I say quietly in her ear.

She grins bashfully, keeping her eyes on her cutting board while she chops.

"Hi." She answers.

"Liam's been served."

Her hands still and she turns her head to look at me. "Really?" She looks happy.

I nod. "Yes, angel." I kiss her lips and then her temple when she turns her head back to her apple.

"That's great news, Christian."

Mia sighs and I almost groan. I am so fucking sick of dealing with her. _Maybe..._

I move over towards Mia and she eyes me, suspiciously. _Maybe if I put on the charm, I won't have to deal with her bullshit._

"I've missed my little sister..." I start to reach out to her and she turns and throws some flour at me.

"I'm still mad at you!" She states, but she's smiling.

I stand there shocked and flour-covered.

The room goes silent, except for my sassy Anastasia, who decides it's the perfect time to giggle. I turn towards Anastasia and she has her hands over her mouth, trying to stifle her giggle while the rest stare, wide-mouthed at the situation. I know they're all waiting for me to blow up.

"Ana..."

She uncovers her mouth, but she is still smiling. "Yes?"

"Come here." I demand.

Her eyebrows raise. "No."

"No?" I ask, surprised.

"I don't want to..." She starts to back up.

"Don't you dare, Anastasia." I take a step toward her and she makes a run for the open French doors and out into the backyard.

I think my chin has a bruise on it from it hitting the floor. _That little minx is going to make me chase her._

I collect myself and follow after her quickly, ready to catch my cheeky girl. Her ass is going to be so red.

She squeals when she looks back and sees me and somehow manages to slip out of her heels so she can run faster.

 _Run, little girl. I run faster._

My quick walk turns into a run and after a few strides, I am able to reach out and grab her. She screams and I spin her around in my arms, ready to carry her defiant little ass back into the house. Her legs wrap around my waist and her arms do the same around my neck. I spank her as hard as I'm capable without it looking too harsh incase they're all watching and she smiles at me.

 _It's a game._

I start to laugh. Here, I thought she was scared of me, but she's playing. I hear her start to giggle again and I shake my head.

"What am I going to do with that sassy little ass of yours, Miss Steele?" I ask, starting to carry her back towards the house.

She bites her lip and shrugs her shoulders. "I don't know, sir. I'm sure you'll think of something."

 _Oh, will I ever!_

On our way, I stop and bend over to grab her shoes, not letting her down. Once I have them in one hand and her in the other arm, she presses her lips to mine.

"Thank you for getting my shoes, sir."

I smile. "You're welcome, angel."

She reaches up and starts to wipe the flour off of my face. She looks down at my shirt and then back to my eyes. "You'll have to get the rest, sir."

I nod. "I will, angel."

I step inside and see that everyone is smiling and laughing at what just took place...all except Elena. She looks shocked by my actions. _Yea, me too._

"I wasn't sure if you were going to kill her or kiss her..." My mother mentions, joking.

I chuckle and shake my head as I place Anastasia on the kitchen island so I can put her shoes back on her. "Me either."

Ana giggles and holds out her foot to me. I brush the wet grass off the bottom of her foot before slipping her back into her shoe. I don't even know how the hell she got them off so fast in the first place. I do the same with the other foot before taking her hand and helping her down.

"You two have such a sweet relationship, Christian." I can hear the affection in my mother's voice and it's a satisfying sound to my ears. I never thought I'd fit in with this family, but with Ana, it seems easy. I'm not sure if Mia and I will ever have anything, but a love-hate relationship, but I don't really give a shit about that.

XxXxXx

"Christian, may I speak with you?"

I look up at Elena, who is now standing in front of Anastasia and me, while we watch the ball game. I want to tell her to go fuck herself, but I really don't need my brother and father asking questions.

Anastasia looks up at me and I try to give her a reassuring smile. "I'll be right back. Keep my seat warm." She gives me a small smile and nods and I peck her lips before getting up to follow Elena.

 _Keep your cool, Grey. Don't let her get to you._

I follow her into the library, where she shuts the door behind us. _Fuck._

"Christian...have you gone off the deep end? What is happening to you?"

I regard her for a minute with my hands in my pockets. "I'm not sure what you're referring to."

Elena's perfectly plucked eyebrows raise in question. "The girl! She said no to you...she _ran_ from you, Christian...and _you_ laughed! Why are you allowing her to be so disrespectful?"

I sigh and rub my face with my hands. "She wasn't being disrespectful, Elena. She was being playful."

"You've lost your edge, Christian. That girl is making you into a pussy."

Anger flows through me like molten rock. _I'll fucking kill this bitch._ I am so angry, I can barely form words. I count to five and let my anger wash through me before retorting. I know what will really piss her off.

"I eat hers so often, I'm not surprised."

The shock on her face almost has me laughing. It takes everything in me to keep my lips from turning up into a smile.

"Christian! We have a contract!"

"Oh, do we?" I ask, pissing her off further.

In order to get her to find subs for me, I signed a contract with her, stating that I wouldn't perform cunninglus on any submissives...that she would be the only one that got to enjoy it. _Fuck that._

"You know very well that we do, Christian. Don't play stupid! You know what it states! You know what the repercussions are!"

I shake my head and laugh. There is no way I'm going to become her submissive again. "The contract states that I will not perform that sex act on any submissive that you find for me. Not only did you fail to find Anastasia for me, but she isn't under my contract. She's my _girlfriend_ , Elena. I'll do whatever the fuck I want to to her and there's nothing you can say or do." Elena doesn't deserve to have any part of me to herself. She has my virginity and even the thought of that is making me sick at the moment.

"You stupid boy." She shakes her head. "I taught you better than this. She'll end up falling in love with you! And all you're going to do is get bored with her and hurt her and your family when you realize you need what you had before she caught your eye. She looks like all the others I sent your way for you to beat and fuck. She isn't special, Christian."

 _I'm done._ I can deal with this shit from Mia, but not from her.

I make my way to the door and yank it open. "I'm done with the lifestyle, Elena...and I'm done with you. I'm going to liquidate your company. I'll give you two weeks." I leave, ready to find my sweet girl who knows how to calm me.

"Christian! Christian! Come back here!" I hear Elena demanding, but I don't give a shit. I don't even look back. _Kiss my ass, bitch._

Anastasia is in the same spot I left her and I drop down on the couch next to her and pull her back against me, breathing deeply into her hair.

She cranes her neck around to look up at me and frowns. "Is everything okay, Christian?"

I take a slow breath in and nod before leaning to whisper in her ear. "It will be. Forget your punishment for tonight, I need you in the playroom." I'm too wound up. I need to let out some steam and I need my Ana.

She gives a slight nod. "Of course, sir. Is there anything I can do to help ease you, now?" She whispers back and I grin.

"Just stay close, angel."

She smiles and rests against me, placing her arms over mine that are around her waist. I bury my nose into the top of her head and take deep, cleansing breaths so that I can get through dinner without killing the blonde bitch. Each day, I find myself becoming more and more angry with her. I've let her control my life for fourteen years now. I'm twenty-nine fucking years old! I must be one slow fucker, not to realize it sooner. I want to say I don't know what I ever saw in her, but I know it'd be a lie. She's a beautiful, sexy woman...even now. It's just a shame to waste such beauty on a bitch like her.

I almost snort at the thought. _Am I really any better?_ I'm determined now more than ever to let go of the monster I once was. Anastasia deserves it and so does my family. I won't allow Elena to control me anymore. I saw myself as independent once I turned twenty-one, but in reality, I depended on Elena for a lot of things. It's got to stop.

XxXxXx

As we sit down to dinner, Elena sits next to my mother and pouts. Her eyes are red-rimmed and puffy and I can tell she's been crying. I smirk at the thought while Anastasia picks up my plate and starts to fill it with food from the various dishes sitting in the center of the table. When she places it back in front of me, I pick up my fork, ready to dig in.

"Thank you, baby." I lean over and kiss her temple and she smiles at me while she fills her own plate.

My eyes meet my mother's and she has a look on her face that I can't place. She doesn't look happy. I wonder if she's already spoken to Elena about the salon. _Would Elena actually tell her what I said?_ What am I kidding...of course she would. She'd make up some ridiculous story like I verbally attacked her and it came out of no where. She's always running to my mother about something. She's a whiny bitch who depends on my mother too much for emotional support.

"So, Ana...how do you like living at Escala?" My father asks, making small talk.

A sharp intake of breath can be heard and I notice it's from Elena. My mother must not have told her.

"Living...? Escala?" Elena asks, shocked.

Ana gives her a smile and nods before answering my father. "I love being with Christian, but it's odd."

My father's brow wrinkles and I'm sure mine does, too. "How so?"

"It's odd having a housekeeper and security and such. I understand why Christian has Mrs. Jones...and she's lovely...but to be honest, I'd rather cook and plate for Christian." She shrugs and picks up her fork and a Cheshire grin forms on my face. My chest warms at her admission.

"Interesting." My father mentions and scratches his chin. I wait, but he takes his eyes off Anastasia and starts to eat.

Elena keeps her mouth shut throughout dinner, letting everyone else make small talk, and it surprises me. She usually keeps my mother's attention the whole time she's here. It's amusing that I was able to affect her in such a deep way. I imagine that she never thought I'd have the balls to cut her off like that. She thinks I'm her little puppet...and I might have been for awhile, but I'm not going to allow my lifestyle to control me any further. It has taken me so far away from my family and made me into a complete asshole. I told myself over and over that I was fine being alone, that I preferred it that way. I convinced myself that beating women until they cried and then fucking them while they sobbed was what I needed. I was a complete monster, but the women wanted me so badly that they dealt with whatever punishment I doled out. I'm such a bastard.

It wasn't until Anastasia that I realized what I was. It took her sweet, innocent nature to pull me out of the darkness that I've been spiraling down my whole life. She's my light at the end of the tunnel and I'm running to her as fast as I can. I'll always be a dominant, kinky bastard...but the thought of caning her or breaking her skin kills me. I would be willing to give up everything, except maybe spanking her...but I have a feeling that Anastasia won't let me. She likes leather and I enjoy making her feel good. Getting her to her release through the belt while she was bent over my desk aroused me and made her impossible to resist. I love seeing my baby's kinky side and I can't wait to get her into my playroom...our playroom... tonight. Since I'm so angry at Elena, I won't allow myself to hit her, but I am going to fuck her as hard as I can. I want her screaming my name. I want to have to carry her back to our bedroom and put her to bed. I want to be so exhausted, that I fall asleep as soon as my head hits my pillow.

XxXxXx

"Go to the playroom and get into position." I hand Anastasia the key and she takes it quickly, running up the stairs. I watch her disappear down that hall and grin. My girl is so impatient.

I head into our room and change into my dom jeans, taking my time. Waiting is half the excitement and I want her panting. I make my way up the stairs and towards the playroom, keeping my footsteps slow and silent. I run the scene through my head once more before turning the doorknob.

My girl is sitting in the middle of the dimly lit room on her knees. Her head is bowed, her nipples are hard, and between her wide-open legs is a wet spot on her light pink panties. I stop for a moment and take her in. This beautiful woman is willing to submit to me. More than willing...she wants me-begs me-to be dominant. How did I ever get so fucking lucky?

I let the door close with a click and she takes a deep slow breath in, her breasts rising and falling. My mouth waters at the sight. I make my way to her and stop when my feet are between her legs, making sure she sees my bare feet.

"You may look at me, angel."

Her chin slowly rises and her eyes rake up my body before they settle on my eyes. She blinks up at me and I smirk.

"That's a good girl. Up."

She rises, keeping her eyes on mine and I have to get use to her smaller stature from earlier. Being barefoot makes her four inches shorter and makes me feel more powerful. It shouldn't, but it arouses me. If I'm not mistaken, the height difference arouses her, too.

Her whole body is shaking lightly from her anticipation and arousal and I reach up to cup her face. "Easy, baby. Deep breath."

She takes a deep, shaky breath and lets it out.

"What are your safe words, Anastasia?"

"Yellow and red, sir." Her voice is soft and breathy.

"Get on the table." I look past her to the brown leather, electric, massage chair that I had personalized to my liking. Not only can I put it in any position I see fit, it also has rings and handles so that I can tie her up or make her hold any position I want.

She hops up on the table, her feet dangling off the side, and watches me.

"Lie down."

She turns and lies flat on the table and her head turns so that her eyes find mine again.

"Keep your eyes on the ceiling, Anastasia."

She turns her head back and looks up, eyes locking on one of the dim lights. I take my time and move around the room, getting her blindfold, various red rope to tie her up, her brand-new custom-ordered pink diamoned nipple clamps and massage oil. I keep my eyes on her, making sure she is being good and keeping her eyes on the ceiling. I don't want her knowing what is coming.

"Close your eyes."

I see her long eyelashes flutter against her soft cheeks and I make my way back to her and, after pulling open one of the drawers and placing the items in it to hold, I blindfold her. I take one of the red ropes and take her wrist, pulling it down to the side of the table so that her fingers touch the handle.

"Hold on."

She grips the handle and I tie her hand to it so it's immobile. I do the same with the opposite hand and take her in again. I see goosebumps form along her breasts and am suddenly worried she's cold. I move to the end of the table, to the remote and hit the heat button so that the table warms her. It only takes a few seconds before she realizes and hums her appreciation. I take the massage oil and place it in the warming bin to heat up and bend to kiss her lips.

"You're my good girl, Anastasia. Tell me if you're comfortable."

She nods. "Yes, sir."

I hook my fingers into her panties and pull them off.

"I'm going to allow you to keep your legs free. Don't make me regret this." I warn, running a finger from the center of her clavicle to her core. "You're starting to grow stubble, Miss Steele." Her dark, pussy hair is starting to come in and I run my index finger over it. She shivers at my touch.

"I'm sorry, sir. I'll have it removed after work."

I continue running my finger over it. I've never had a woman with hair before. "No. Don't. Let it grow." I want to see her natural. I'm intrigued.

"Oh...I-um-yes, sir."

I move to the end of the table and place her legs so that they are spread and bent, her feet flat on the table, before I drop the bottom third of the table and it folds down. She gasps loudly at the sound and realizes the table is shorter and her heels are the only thing left on the table now. She wiggles her toes in the air, trying to keep her footing. I help push her legs back so her feet stay.

I take her in, sprawled out on the short table and wish I had stirrups to put her legs in. I make a mental note to mention it to Taylor later.

I decide to have some fun and leave her to get a vibrating bullet out of the drawer. It's connected to a remote so that I can control the intensity and vibration pattern. When I come back, I place it in the drawer and grab the warmed oil out of it's warmer. I test the oil on myself first, making sure it isn't too hot, before pouring it over her breasts.

"Ohhh..." She exhales sharply and her chin tips upwards. I start to rub her down and she hums and mewls as I work her mounds, making them hard again, before moving towards her abdomen. More oil gets poured and I continue my way down and slip a finger into her soaked center.

"Ohhh...yes, sir..." Her head rolls to the side as I massage her inner walls. I slip my finger out and she whimpers and squeezes her legs together.

"Anastasia...I told you not to move them!"

Again, she whimpers and spreads her legs. "I'm sorry, sir. Please touch me."

I don't answer her, and start to rub her oiled abdomen again. She lets out a frustrated growl and her thighs squeeze together and come off the table.

"That's it, Anastasia. I tried to allow you to have some freedom, but you can't handle it." I leave her and head to the line of rope, looking for the right length.

She pulls at her bindings and whimpers. "What are you going to do to me, sir?"

"You'll find out soon enough." I clip, pulling down the rope I need. I head to my drawer and pull out a spreader bar to keep her legs open.

Her breathing is heavy when I come back and I can't tell if she's afraid or aroused. I take her leg quickly and push her ankle back until her heel hits the back of her thigh. I take the rope in the other hand and begin to wrap it around so that it stays in place before using both hands to finish the job. I leave a loop on the inside of her thigh to attach to the spreader bar and then do the same to the opposite leg. I clip the spreader bar to each of the loops, forcing her legs to remain open.

"You're forcing me to get creative, Anastasia. I don't appreciate having to go out of scene because you can't control yourself."

Her bottom lip comes out in a pout; she's disappointed in herself.

"You do look mighty fine right now, Miss Steele. Only a couple more additions and then I'll have my way with you."

She moans and her toes flex at my words.

I take her nipple clamps and move so that I can latch my mouth onto her nipple. Her back arches, pushing her breast into my face. I cup her breast in my hand and squeeze, sucking harder. She cries out and wiggles her hips, but can't move very far. I pull on her nipple with my lips and slip the clamp against my lips, clamping it onto her nipple.

"Fuck! Christian! Mmm..." Her back arches again and her head rolls from side to side.

"You like that, baby?"

"Oh, yes, sir!" I roll her nipple in between my index and thumb. "Mmm...again! Please, again!"

"Ssshhhh, patience, baby."

I move around the table and repeat the process on the other nipple, clamping it down.

"You look so good in these pink diamonds, Anastasia." I lean down and remove her blindfold so she can see them. My dick is throbbing in my jeans and I yank them open so I can rub my length a few times, soothing it.

She whimpers and I see that she's watching me instead of herself. I step back up to her and place the blindfold back over her eyes.

"Sir...I want to see you." She whines, pulling on her restraints.

"I know you do, baby. Not yet." I step back and take her in again, slipping my jeans off and rubbing myself.

"Mmm, I could masterbate to you all day."

"Please, sir. Let me make you feel good. You shouldn't have to do it yourself."

I grin. "You're right." I grab the remote to the table and lower the head of the table so that it's lower than her legs. I slip the leather pillow out from under her head and lean over her face.

"Open your mouth. I want in that tight little mouth of yours."

Her mouth opens wide and I manuever myself and push into her mouth. Her lips wrap around my dick and her tongue swipes at my tip.

I slowly move myself in and out of her mouth and pick up speed, so that I'm thrusting. Reaching up between her legs, I rub her clit and she moans against my dick, the vibrations causing my ass muscles to clench.

"That's my good girl, Anastasia." I reach down and pull the bullet out of the open drawer and place it on her clit, holding it there, and use my other hand to work the remote. I turn it on the lowest setting, causing her head to lurch forward and she chokes on my dick.

I pull out a little and drop the remote on the table to caress her cheek.

"Easy, baby. Just relax and feel it."

She hums and sucks hard, so I push myself further into her mouth. I rub the bullet against her core, pulling it away every so often so she doesn't get off. She's moaning and sucking on my dick and before long, my balls start to tighten.

"Fuck, Ana...I'm going to come." I warn and the little minx sucks harder, sending me over the edge.

Once she's sucked me dry, I leave her and grab a washrag so I can wipe the saliva off her face. I lift her head and slip the leather pillow back behind her and raise the bed so it's flat again.

"Is my girl ready to come?" I ask, taking the bullet off the table. The spreader bar hits against the metal clips, making a clinking sound as she shimmies on the table.

"Yes, sir. Please touch me."

I grin. "Tell me where."

"Between my legs, sir."

"What's it called?"

"My p-pussy, sir."

 _Hers?_ "What'd you call it?"

"My pussy, sir. Please. Touch it."

"I'm sorry...who's pussy is it?" I slip my middle finger into her core and she moans.

"You're pussy, sir. It's yours. I'm yours."

"There you go. Good girl." I remove my finger and line myself up, pressing myself into her until I'm in up to my hilt.

"Mmm, thank you, sir."

I grab the center of the spreader bar and push it away from me, forcing her legs against her abdomen. I turn the bullet on and then grab it while it's buzzing across the leather and place it against her clit.

She cries out and I rub it in circles around her sensitive bundle of nerves, keeping myself as still as possible.

"Sir...I'm going to-"

"Come as many times as you need, baby." I don't need her to ask permission tonight.

She detonates and I groan as she clenches and throbs around me. I take the bullet off of her clit to give her a short break.

"Good girl. Twice more and I'll start moving." I know as soon as I start thrusting it won't take me long.

I place the bullet back against her wetness and her legs begin to shake. "I'm too sensitive, sir."

"Just relax, baby. You can do it. Be my good girl."

I move the bullet down between her clit and my dick and her legs stop shaking.

"Is that better, angel?"

"Mmm, yes, sir! So good...more...please, sir..."

"What a polite little submissive. That's my girl." I turn the vibration up and press it harder against her deep pink wetness.

"Ohh, sir. Yes...just like that. Thank you."

Her head keeps rolling from side to side and her mewls get louder. _She's close._

"Can you squeeze around me, beautiful?"

She nods and I feel her muscles contract around me. It only takes a few seconds before it triggers her and she's screaming and writhing on the table. My dick is throbbing for release. _One more and you can come._

I press the bullet back against her clit and she comes, shaking.

"Christian...please...no more...I can't."

I throw the bullet to the floor and slowly start to move in and out.

"No more vibrator, baby. Is this alright?"

She nods. "Yes, sir. It's heaven."

I reach up and start to pluck her nipples as I ram into her. _Come on, baby. One more and I'll release those harsh clamps._

XxXxXx

When I've finished, I free her and carry her back to our bedroom, where I tuck her in.

"Please hold me, Christian. I need cuddled." Her eyes are closed, but both arms are out straight waiting for a hug.

I chuckle. My poor girl looks pathetic.

"Just let me use the toilet and I'll spend the rest of the night cuddling you."

She smiles and her arms drop to her side. " 'Kay."

I smile and shake my head on the way to the bathroom. She'll be comatose before I have the toilet flushed.


	5. Glendale Country Club

**Pinterest: NineN3Quarters**

 **I've made an update to the A/N at the end.**

It's only been three fucking days since I've seen my family and my brother has called an emergency dinner at the country club tonight. If I would have had a chance, I would have probably found a way out of it-I don't understand why he can't wait four more fucking days to tell us-but, he had Kate call Anastasia first and then she told me. He's more clever than I give him credit for. At least now I don't have to wait for Anastasia to get home tonight. That Hyde fucker has been keeping her at work past six almost every night. Tonight, she'll be off by four so we can leave Escala by five.

I find it interesting that he has chosen somewhere so quiet to have dinner, instead of having it somewhere like my club. I wonder if it's bad news and this is his way of making the family keep quiet. My father would kill all of them if they made a scene in his precious country club.

I shake my head at the thought.

He's always paraded us around in little suits and Mia in little dresses, demanding that we be as polite as ever; we all became pros at playing perfect family. Well...I guess I can only speak for me. For all I know, Elliot and Mia weren't acting and were perfect for Mom and Dad. I know I was never that way.

 _*Buzz*_

"Yes, Andrea?" I ask, hitting the intercom.

"Your mother is on the line."

I rub my temples. _Just fucking great._

"Fine. Send her through."

My phone rings and I pick it up.

"Hello, Mom."

"Hello, darling. I was just wondering if you knew why your brother has called this emergency dinner?"

 _Why the fuck would I know?_ "No, I haven't any idea why Elliot's called this meeting. To be honest, he didn't even call me. He had Kate call Anastasia."

"Oh...hmm."

I can tell that she has something else on her mind.

"Mom...just tell me why you're really calling." I say dryly, tapping my $300 fountain pen against the side of my desk. I can feel a guilt trip coming.

"Well, darling, I was speaking to Elena and she said that you had one of your fits and told her you were going to liquidate her company."

One of my fits? _What. The. Fuck._

 _She's your mother Grey; don't forget it._

"Mother, it's _our_ company-one that I own sixty percent of-and I assure you, I wasn't having one of my _fits_ when we spoke...whatever that means."

My mother sighs. "Christian...are you really going to leave her with nothing? That's her livelihood, sweetheart. How is she supposed to continue to live on nothing?"

I snort. I guarantee she has more than nothing in that bank account of hers.

"Mother...this is business. It's what's best-"

"She's a friend of ours, Christian! She's been around your whole life. She's helped you so much and she adores you like you're her own."

I cringe at the thought of how she'd treat her own child if that were really true.

"I don't mix business and personal mother. As I was saying before I was interrupted, this is business and this is what is best for my company. She won't get nothing. She'll get forty percent of the profit from selling the business." I leave out the fact that I will sell it to the lowest bidder.

"Please sweetheart, you have plenty of money. Can't you just gift the business to her and wipe your hands clean of it? Don't leave her with nothing. She's put so much energy into her salons."

 _Shit._ I don't know where to go with this. Elena doesn't deserve this, but it'll put my mother at ease and I'll be rid of Elena.

"Please, Christian. I know you aren't this selfish. She's one of my good friends and I'd hate for this to come between her and I."

 _If she only knew._ She'd hate me, too if I told her. I can't disappoint my mother by telling her the truth. She's been my savior.

"Fine. I'll gift it to her."

"Oh, great! Thank you, Christian! I'll let her know! I'll see you tonight, darling."

I can't help my smile. My mother sounds so happy. I like making her that way.

"Yes, mother. I'll see you tonight."

XxXxXx

It's 3:30pm and I'm just shrugging on my suit jacket when my phone vibrates and Anastasia's name pops up on the screen. I grab it quickly and answer.

"Hey, baby. Heading home?"

She sighs. _This can't be good._

"Christian...I don't think I'm going to be able to make it tonight. Jack doesn't want me leaving early."

 _Fucker._

"You work late every fucking night, Anastasia!"

"I know...I'm sorry. I don't know what to do, Christian." She says quietly into the phone. She sounds even more upset now and I feel like a fucking asshole.

"It isn't your fault, angel. I'm sorry I barked at you. Let me handle it." _See if he has the balls to say no when I show up._

"What are you going to do, Christian?"

"Don't you worry, baby. Just keep working. I promise we'll make it to the dinner tonight."

She sighs again, but it sounds like she's relieved. "Thank you, sir."

I grin. "You're welcome, Ana. See you soon."

I buzz Taylor's office.

"Yes, sir?"

"Taylor, we need to stop by SIP before we go home."

"Yes, sir."

It's so nice having employees that just do what they're told instead of asking a bunch of questions.

SIP is only seven minutes away and before I know it, Taylor is parked in front of it. He opens my door and I go straight in, determined to find Anastasia. I wish I would have contacted Sawyer so that I knew where she was located, because some little redhead at the front desk stops me.

"Sir! Please sign in at the front desk."

I turn towards her and she looks up at me and giggles. _It's just a pretty face, sweetheart._

I sign my name as requested and I notice her fluffing her hair and undoing the top button of her blouse. I have looked over everyone's background check and I remember her name as being Candice. I make a mental note to fire her if I decide to buy it.

"Thank you Mister..." She looks down at the paper and her eyes widen. "Oh, wow. Mr. Grey! What can I do for you?" She asks, pushing her breasts together.

"First of all, _Candice_ -"

"Please, call me Candy." She purrs, and the way she says it makes me think she's some sort of stripper.

"I don't appreciate being interrupted. What I would appreciate, is for you to remain professional while you are at work...and shoving your chest at visitors isn't what I call being professional. Once you've fixed your top, I would like you to direct me to Anastasia Steele." I know I'm taking my anger out on this girl, instead of Hyde, but I don't give a fuck. She's being ridiculous.

Her eyes widen and she pales. _That's right._

"Mr. Grey." I turn and see Sawyer standing about ten feet away and I nod.

"Never mind, Can _dice_. I'll see to it myself."

I turn and continue my way towards Sawyer and follow him down the hall.

"I don't like having to leave Miss Steele this late in the day, but Taylor told me you were here."

 _So he doesn't trust that fucker, either._

We stop at an office and he knocks on the door before entering. I see a man sitting at a desk in the middle of the room and then my Anastasia sitting at a small desk in the corner, her back facing the wall and her front facing him. _That fucker is forcing her to share his office._ No wonder she wears pants every fucking day. His eyes probably wander below her desk. _I'll fucking kill him._

His eyes meet mine and his expressionless face suddenly becomes angry.

"Christian!" Ana jumps up from her desk and comes to the door to greet me.

I drag my eyes off of him and focus on her, giving her a smile. "Hey, baby. I came to get you."

I lean down and kiss her and hear Hyde practically growl behind her.

"I told her that we were too busy for her to leave early today." He barks at me.

I straighten up and cock my eyebrow. "Anastasia stays after hours almost every night. Surely, she can leave an hour early for one day. If you are indeed, so swamped that you can't allow a _personal assistant_ off, then I would suggest that you speak to Miss Morgan about hiring extra help or asking others to stay over. Otherwise, it would imply that you are too incompetent to do your job, so you force your personal assistant to do it for you. Anastasia and I have a family emergency to tend to, so she will be going."

Anastasia is now gripping my hand and looking back and forth between the two of us. I look down at her and say her name to get her attention.

"Yes, Christian?"

"Get your things. We're leaving."

She nods. "Yes, sir."

I watch as she moves towards her little corner to start collecting her phone, handbag, and blazer.

"You cannot tell my employee when to leave, Grey."

I give him a smirk. "I believe I just did, Hyde." I get a deep sense of satisfaction knowing that he knows who I am.

He stands and begins towards Anastasia, but I step between them. _Keep your dickbeater off my girlfriend._

He scowls at me. I don't give a flying fuck.

"There is no reason for you to touch Anastasia. If you have something to say, you can say it from across the room. Touching her is inappropriate." Sawyer is by my side, but I can't figure out if it's for Anastasia's sake or mine. The fucker looks like he might try to kill me.

"Get out of here. Anastasia...I will see you at 7:30am. _Do not_ be late."

I turn my head and see her shocked face. "Oh...um, okay. I'll be here, Jack." She usually doesn't come in until 9. I want to hurt him, but I know I can't. Not now. She steps closer to me and grabs my hand, ready to leave.

I give him a nod and escort my girl out, Sawyer trailing behind us. Once we're in the SUV with Taylor, he leaves us to drive the other vehicle back to Escala.

I buckle her in before I buckle myself in the center seat so I can be close to her. I notice that she keeps smiling down at her clasped fingers. Talk about a mood change. I reach over and touch her lips, causing her to look up at me and blush.

"Tell me what you are thinking, angel."

Her face turns even deeper crimson and she looks down. "You're just so dominant, Christian. It's so sexy. I love it when you show you're Alpha."

 _Alpha, huh? Damn right._

I can't help my smirk. I lean down and run my nose along her ear. "Should I show my alpha again, after dinner, angel?" I say into her ear. I enjoy watching her shiver as goosebumps form on her pale, smooth skin.

She takes a deep breath in and lets it out, calming herself, before nodding.

I chuckle and nip at her earlobe before straightening back up and putting an arm around her.

XxXxXx

Ana and I take a quick shower, not only because we're on a time crunch, but because if we stay there any longer, I might jump her sweet little ass. Once we're dry, she heads to our closet while I shave the 5:00 o'clock shadow off my face. I know Ana likes my facial hair, but, again, my urge to play perfect family wins; I know my father would want me clean shaven.

I make my way into the closet to find clothes and find Anastasia standing there, still in her towel, a large frown on her face.

"What is it, Ana?"

"I've never been to a country club before. I don't know what to wear."

"Why didn't you ask for help, baby?"

She shrugs. "I didn't want to bother you."

I pull her to me and kiss her forehead. "Baby, you are not a bother. It's my responsibility to take care of you and to make sure you don't worry about anything." I kiss her forehead. "Let's get you dressed."

She nods and I look through her clothes, deciding on a white dress with pink and gray roses and charcoal gray Louboutin heels. Once I have her dressed, I pull out a pink Dior blazer and slip it on her shoulders, knowing how easily she gets cold. I send her out to freshen her makeup and look through my half of the closet. I decide to match Anastasia and throw on a pink button down with a gray sweater over it and dark gray trousers.

I grab my steel gray watch and slip it on my wrist on my way out of the closet. Anastasia isn't in the bedroom and I head out to find her standing in the kitchen, speaking to Mrs. Jones. She stops and turns when she hears me coming and smiles at me.

"Are you ready, baby? Taylor went down to get the car." Anastasia tells me and my heart swells at the nick-name.

I give her a pantie-dropper smile and hold out my hand. "Yes, Ana. Let's go."

She takes my hand and, out of the corner of my eye, I see Mrs. Jones smiling...which is odd; she doesn't smile often. Anastasia must have an effect on all of us.

In the elevator, I bring her hand up to kiss and see that she's changed her nails to a natural color.

"Your nails look beautiful, baby."

"You like them, sir? Then I'll keep them."

I frown. I know she likes to please me, but I want her to have the freedom to pick whatever color she wants.

"You look beautiful no matter what color you wear. Please choose whatever color you want, angel." I urge. I'm already a controlling bastard; I don't want her to feel like she isn't allowed to make simple decisions without backlash from me.

XxXxXx

"Reservations for Grey." I tell the teenage kid in the red polo. His eyes widen and he fumbles to get out from behind the desk. It's probably his first real job. Three weeks ago, he would have pissed me off by this, but now, I find it entertaining.

"Follow me, Mr. Grey. The others are waiting for you." He explains, while I escort Anastasia behind him.

I can feel eyes on us and I can see my parents friends, the Ballard's, staring open-mouthed at us. I don't know whether they're surprised to see me at all, or surprised to see me with a woman hanging off my arm. I nod and smile politely at them as we pass. This makes them pick their jaws up off the floor.

We're welcomed by my family when we make it to the table and Anastasia bends over and gives my mother a peck on the cheek before she makes her way to her seat. My mother is beaming. I can see that Anastasia's little sign of affection made her happy.

The teenage boy holds out a seat for Anastasia and smiles at her and then winks. "Miss?"

My blood boils. _The little fucker is hitting on my Anastasia._

I take it from him. "I'll take care of it."

His smile falters when he sees my face and gives me an uncertain nod. "Ye-yes, of course, sir."

Anastasia gives me a smile and sits, allowing me to push in her chair.

"Are you warm enough, baby? Do you want me to take your blazer?" I ask sitting next to her and turning towards her.

"Oh, yes. That'd be lovely. I am a bit warm." Anastasia nods and I help her slide her blazer off before hanging it on the back of her chair.

"Would you like me to check her blazer, sir?" The teenage fucker is still here. _What the fuck?_ And he can't keep his eyes off of her. _She is mine._

"No, it'll be fine here. She might get chilled, later." I try to be nice for my family, but really, I just want to break his fingers.

Anastasia cranes her neck to look at him and smiles politely. "Thank you for offering."

"You're welcome, Miss." He smiles and nods, but doesn't move.

Anastasia's eyebrow raises. "Goodbye." She's annoyed and I smirk at her attitude.

He shakes his head, as if remembering himself, and nods. "Yes, so sorry. Enjoy your evening."

 _Yes, go fuck off._

"Now he's got to stop at the bathroom to fix that little problem he had in his pants." Elliot mentions, laughing.

"What?" I turn to look towards where he walked off to and see the tent in his pants. I growl and start to get up, but Anastasia grabs my bicep on my way up and tugs me back down. I can feel my blood pressure sky rocket.

Her hand leaves my bicep and cups the side of my face. "Christian." My eyes meet hers and she gives me a small smile and rubs her thumb over my cheek. "I'm yours. Let's eat."

I take a deep breath and nod. _That fucker gets to keep his balls one more day._

"Woah. She is the Christian tamer." Mia opens her mouth. The others laugh and I try to scowl at her, but she disappears behind her menu.

Anastasia giggles along with them while she looks over her menu. I pick up my own menu and feel a hand on my thigh. I look down at it and then to her, but she has her eyes on her menu. She rubs my thigh up and down soothingly, before bringing her hand back up to hold her menu.

I grin and shake my head. _She's_ trying to soothe _me._ I think this is almost laughable, but I realize that she does calm me often and she's the only one that has that gift. My mother had the gift until I was a teenager. Since then, the only thing that calmed me down was my playroom. It's refreshing not feeling angry constantly.

I use to think that I was in control of all my emotions, of my actions, and the people around me. Only now, do I realize that rage controlled my life. Not anymore. Not as long as I have my girl beside me. I rest one arm on the back of her chair while I look through my menu and find myself twirling her hair around my finger absentmindedly.

I decide on the braised lamb and I feel a tug on the side of my sweater. I look over and she leans in, so I do the same.

"What is this?" She whispers, pointing to the broiled Quiluete steelhead. She bites her lip and looks up at me.

"It's local trout, baby." I answer and smile. I'm glad she feels comfortable enough to ask me.

She nods and chews her lip while she studies the menu.

"I'll have this." She announces quietly, pointing to the Cornish game hen.

I nod. "Alright. What kind of salad do you want?" I don't give her a choice on if she wants on or not. Her entrée is not enough.

She studies her menu again before pointing to the green salad. "With ranch."

"No poppyseed?"

Her nose scrunches. "Are you nuts?"

I chuckle. "Only about you, baby."

The waitress comes to collect our order, starting with my parents. When she makes her way around the table, she looks at Ana expectantly.

"She'll have the green salad with ranch and the Cornish game hen and an iced tea. I'll have the Gingham salad and the lamb shank. I'll have an iced tea, as well and your list of reserved wines." I take Anastasia's menu from her and hand them both to the girl.

"Thank you, sir. I'll bring out seven soups for you all."

Anastasia turns towards me and gives me a slight scowl. "Soup? I can't eat all that, Christian!" She whispers.

I grin. "Eat what you can. I'll help."

Her scowl turns into a smile and she giggles. "I'm sure you will."

I feel eyes on us and I catch my mother staring between us. Her face is expressionless and right now I'd give anything to read her mind.

"Okay, Elliot. We've ordered. Now tell us why we're here." My father asks, making me break eye contact with my mother.

Elliot rubs his hands on his pants, a nervous habit he's always had, and clears his throat.

"Well...Kate and I went to the doctor Monday and got quite the shock."

 _OH FUCK._

He looks at Kate and her face turns crimson.

"Oh?" My mother asks.

Kate nods. "I've been sick for awhile and finally got fed up enough to see the doctor...and it turns out that I am pregnant."

 _He's fucked. Eighteen years of supporting that slag._

There are high-pitched gasps from Mia and my mother and Anastasia has both hands over her mouth in shock.

"How far along?" Mom asks.

"Twelve weeks."

"Twelve!" My mother clears her throat when she realizes how loud she's being and lowers her voice. "Twelve weeks? How could you not know?"

Kate frowns. "I was on the birth control shot and it failed. I wasn't supposed to have periods so I didn't think about it. I thought we were covered."

 _Mental note to ask Anastasia what birth control she uses._

My mother stares at her for a second and then starts laughing and stands up to hug Kate. "I'm going to be a grandmother!" _She's happy._ She's fucking happy about him being stuck with her!

Anastasia raises, too, to hug her and I see that she's crying. "Kate! This is incredible! Congratulations!" She tells her, sniffling.

Kate sees Ana and starts in on it, too. _Just great._

Mia joins them and my father has to shoo them back to their seats so they stop making a scene.

When Anastasia sits back down, I lean over and wipe a stray tear off her face. She's beaming at me with big, watery eyes and I hope to fuck she doesn't get any ideas from her friend.

"Isn't it wonderful, Christian? You're going to be an uncle!"

I give her a tight lip smile. "Of course."

"We have another announcement." Elliot says.

 _Fuck._ What is it? Two miniature Kavanaghs?

"We're getting married."

 _HO-LY FUCK._ He. Is. An. Idiot. This bimbo is going to become my sister-in-law. She has my idiot brother wrapped around her finger...and his balls in a jar with her name on it.

Anastasia is dancing in her seat along with Mia while Kate slips on her engagement ring and holds it out to show everyone. She looks at me and smiles and I lean in and take a look and nod.

"It's beautiful." I tell her. I'm not lying. My brother did choose a beautiful ring. Not sure if she deserves it or appreciates it.

Through our meal, they talk baby and wedding, but I really don't have much interest in it. I still feel like I'm in shock over the fact that not only is my playboy brother getting married, but to a Kavanagh AND having a baby. I feel like I'm living in the twilight zone.

I concentrate on watching Anastasia as she joins in and she's glowing with all the news. Her eyes are sparking, her cheeks are pink, and she's grinning from ear-to-ear. She really is happy for them.

 _Will I ever be able to give her those things?_ My heart plummets at the thought. _Is she wanting those things?_ Marriage? A baby?

 _Fuck._

I start to panic. My heart-rate spikes and my breathing is coming out in short, heavy breaths. I remind myself to calm the fuck down. _It's only been a few weeks._ There is no way she could ever expect me to jump on the marriage train so quickly...or at all. _Can I do this?_ I know I can't let her go. If she wants marriage... _fuck._ Then I have no choice. The thought of her being loved on or fucked by another man sickens me. I won't allow anyone else to have her. I'm way too selfish for that. She's such a good submissive...I bet she doesn't even bring it up. She has to-

"Christian...I can practically see your brain overheating. Relax." Her voice in my ear pulls me from my thoughts.

I look down at her and try to give her a small, reassuring smile.

She doesn't believe me and leans in. "I know what you're thinking, Christian. It's not my first time in this lifestyle, sir. I understand that there's no love and certainly no marriage or children. Don't worry."

She pulls away and gives me a smile, but her eyes are no longer shining. My heart clenches painfully at her words. She doesn't think I'll ever love her...never want her for the long haul. _My poor Ana._ She deserves better than this.

I know I can't discuss this with her here, so I give her a small smile back and kiss her temple. I don't even know what to say to her. _Hell,_ I don't know what I even think or how I feel. I'm confused. I know I'll be up half the night working it out in my head.

My father keeps eyeing me and he can see my unease, I'm sure. I make eye contact with him and he checks his watch.

"Hey, we still have a half an hour before the driving range closes. Elliot...Christian...what do you say about hitting some balls?"

 _Thank fuck._

"Sounds good. It'll be nice giving my ears a break." Elliot answers.

I nod and lean over to kiss Anastasia. "You'll be okay with the girls?"

She rolls her eyes and my hand and cock twitches in tandem. _Oh, how I'd love to spank and fuck her right now._

"Yes, Christian. I'll be fine. They don't bite." She smiles. "Have fun."

I kiss her cheek, so I can whisper in her ear. "That leather paddle has your name on it when we get home, Miss Steele."

Her eyes widen and she licks her lips. "Yes, Christian."

I know she's only calling me Christian because my family can hear, but I would have loved her to call me sir out loud. I would have probably yanked her out of her chair and taken her to the bathroom to fuck her if she did.

I tear myself away from her and head out with my brother and father to hit some balls. I hate having to rent clubs, but I didn't bring mine tonight, so I don't have a choice.

When we get out there, it's obvious just how drunk my brother really is. I grin. Maybe rented clubs won't hinder me after all.

I spend the next half an hour trying to hit my balls and keeping an eye on my brother's rogue clubs as he flails his arms about. When one of his balls manages to somehow hit the back of my calf, I decide I'm done. At this point, I'm angry and frustrated and just want to get away from my idiot brother.

I let them know I'm heading back in and return the clubs to the shack before heading back in to the dining room. I see that my mother and Mia have moved closer, sandwiching Anastasia and my brother's sla... _fiance..._ in the middle. I can't sit next to my girl.

I frown and place my hands on her shoulders, surprising her. She cranes her head up and smiles at me.

"Have fun?" She asks.

I shrug. "Elliot was too drunk to really hit the balls, so it became a duck or get killed type of situation."

The girls giggle and I rub my hands up and down her arms. They're ice cold.

"Anastasia. You're freezing! Put this on." I grab her pink blazer and hold it out so she can slip it on.

Once she has it situated around her, I ask her why she didn't have it on in the first place.

"I didn't really notice, Christian." She answers.

I press my lips together, annoyed, and rub her arms up and down to try and warm her. _Just let it go. Your mother is here._

XxXxXx

"How're you feeling, angel?" I ask Anastasia while we lay in bed. I have just finished applying aloe to her backside after using my leather paddle on her ass and fucking her hard.

"Hmm...tired." She answers and then yawns and nuzzles into my chest.

"Was I too rough?"

"No, sir. I liked it."

I grin. "Really? I couldn't tell by the wetness running down your legs and you screaming my name while begging for more."

"Christian!" She squeaks and buries her head in my chest. I can feel the heat coming off her cheeks and I chuckle. Ten minutes ago she was begging me to fuck her harder and now she's back to being embarrassed and playing innocent.

I squeeze her tighter to me and kiss the top of her head. "Sleep, baby. You've got a long day ahead of you tomorrow." _All thanks to the stupid fucker._

She sighs. "I'll try."

"What is it?"

"I'm scared to go in. What if he fires me?"

I frown. "I promise you won't be fired."

"How do you know?"

 _I'll buy it and rehire you and fire the fucker._ "Because it's grounds for a lawsuit and he wouldn't risk it."

"I guess you're right." She yawns again. "Goodnight, sir. Thank you for tonight. I needed it."

I grin. "You're very welcome, Miss Steele. Sleep now. I promise everything will be fine."

I'll have to remember that my girl sometimes likes it rough. With her small stature, I sometimes forget that she can handle much more than it seems.

I'm hoping that Hyde isn't as stupid as he looks and he keeps himself professional tomorrow. Sawyer is aware of the situation and he's to contact me if anything happens. I'm itching to make the company mine and fire that fucker so Anastasia is safe, but I told myself I would wait for a better reason than just my jealousy to take the company. Work is the only place where Anastasia is independent and I don't want to take away all of her independence...well, unless needed. Her safety is most important to me.

I feel her relax against me and her breathing evens out. I pull the duvet up to her neck to make sure she's warm, hold her tight against me, and close my eyes. I will myself to clear my mind so that my nightmares don't return, but I can't. Thoughts of marriage, babies, and asshole editors flood my brain. I squeeze my eyes shut and switch my brain to concentrate on our kinky-fuckery from earlier and, after fighting sleep for a couple hours, finally drift off.

 **A/N: I've decided against a surprise pregnancy for CG and Ana and I gave it to Elliot and Kate instead. I have a method to my madness, I promise. I know it might seem hazy right now. Just sit tight.**

 **UPDATE: I've already had multiple people upset about the fish scene. To clear up the confusion... CG was relieved that she felt comfortable enough with him to ask what it was, because he knew she felt uncomfortable in such a place and didn't want to embarress herself. He was glad that she knew he wouldn't poke fun at her. NOT the fact that she felt comfortable enough to ask him questions in general. He isn't a monster, people.**


	6. Buying SIP

**A/N: I was asked why I made Elena pretty. To push the point that beauty is only skin deep and to make Christian ask himself if he really was any better than her and make him determined to change.**

 **Anastasia will continue to be submissive to Christian, even if she isn't labeled as _A_ submissive. Her personality isn't dominant and she has no urge to be that way. She loves being with a dominant man and having him take care of her. I have said this from the very beginning, so at this point, there shouldn't be anyone upset that she hasn't "found her voice". She has a voice and only chooses to use it when need be. There is NOTHING wrong with being submissive to your boyfriend/husband as long as it isn't in an abusive relationship. When we get deeper into the story, we will find out a little of why she's the way she is...and no, it has nothing to do with past abuse.**

 **End rant. On to the story.**

I've been wound up all day. I've had Sebastian come to Grey House for an hour session of sparring and workout and it's done little to settle me down. Anastasia left our apartment at 7:00am a nervous wreck and I haven't been able to talk to her all day. Sawyer sent me an email explaining that Hyde told her that cell phones were no longer allowed and that emails were being monitored with the intent to fire anyone who sends or receives emails from outside sources.

The fucker is doing everything he can to keep her from contacting me. Sawyer has given me hourly updates, stating that it is extremely quiet in the office today and that Hyde keeps looking at Anastasia, but won't say anything. He also made it a point to mention that he has not tried to touch her.

After I shower in my personal bathroom and throw on fresh clothes, I sit at my desk to look through my emails, hoping to see Sawyer's name pop up. Nothing. _Fuck._

*Buzz*

"Yes, Andrea?"

"Your lunch is here, sir."

 _It's only lunch? Fuck. Fuck. Fuck-a-duck._

"Bring it to me."

I get a ping on my phone while I eat my corned-beef sandwich and see that it's from Anastasia. My sandwich drops to my desk and I grab my phone in both hands.

 _*Hello, sir. Sawyer said that you're worried. I just wanted to check in and say that I am fine. I am getting lunch for Jack and me and then I have to go back.*_

My Ana.

 _*Thank you for checking in, angel. What are you eating for lunch?*_

I stare at my phone while I eat the rest of my lunch, but I get no reply. A large part of me wants to go down there. I hate not being in contact with her. It feels too eerie to me.

I try to shake my feeling off and tell myself it's my jealousy getting the best of me. Sawyer is with her and since he doesn't work for SIP, he can keep his cell phone. He'll let me know if I need to come.

I try to concentrate on my computer, but the contract I am supposed to be reading isn't making any sense. My lawyers have sent me a rough draft for the paperwork for Elena, but I can't concentrate. My reading comprehension is non-existent at this point.

By 2:00 pm, I realize it's no use and I'm ready to go home.

I buzz Taylor.

"Yes, sir."

"Let's go home."

"I'll get the car, sir."

XxXxXx

When I get home, I'm anxious...wired. I slip off my shoes and top and make my way up to my gym to see if my punching bag will help ease it.

I spend a half an hour beating the shit out of it, but I can't get the anxiety out of chest. I start doing pull-ups, trying to tire my arms with the hope that working my upper body will force the anxiety to release itself.

Nothing helps. I growl out a scream and hit my punching bag over and over, feeling out of control. _What the fuck is happening to me?_

Finally, I'm out of breath and bend over, my hands on my knees, while I pant.

"Sir?"

"What is it, Taylor?" I ask, trying to drag air into my lungs.

"Sawyer and Miss Steele are on their way. Miss Steele is alright, but something's happened."

I straighten up. "What? What's happened, Taylor?!"

"I'm not sure, sir. He called me, but she kept begging for him to just take her home, so he said he'd brief us when they got back. She sounded panicked, sir."

"Fuck." I push past him and hurry down the stairs. Mrs. Jones catches my eye from the kitchen.

"GAIL! GET ME A SHIRT!" I roar on my way to the elevator. I pace in front of it and see Taylor.

"Where are they?"

Taylor pulls out his phone and looks at the GPS. "About five minutes, sir."

 _That's too long._

Gail shows up with a shirt and a towel and I take the towel from her first to wipe myself down before taking the shirt. I'm a sweaty mess, but I don't have time to take a shower.

I knew I should have stopped by there. I will _never_ talk myself out of going again. It's all my fucking fault.

As I pace, I see that Gail has replaced my usual white roses on the table with colorful wildflowers. The color pisses me off. I yank it off the table and throw it across the small room, letting it smash against the wall.

"WHITE FLOWERS! HOW MANY FUCKING TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU THIS?" I scream at Gail and she steps back against Taylor. She's afraid of me.

"Ana picked them, sir."

I stop in my tracks and look down at the mess of flowers on the floor.

The elevator dings and I spin around quickly.

Anastasia comes bounding out of the elevator and I bend down and open my arms so I can scoop her up. Her arms wrap around my neck, her legs around my waist, and she starts sobbing into my neck.

"I am here. You are safe. You're home. You're safe now." I try to soothe her, but I don't even know what the fuck happened. My arms are burning from my work out and my legs feel like jelly from my surge of adrenaline. I use one arm to hold her to me and I stroke her hair with the opposite hand before holding her head against my neck. "I'm right here."

My eyes meet Sawyer's and he shakes his head. "We need to talk."

I nod. "Office." I head toward my office and Taylor hurries ahead of me, pulling out his keys to unlock it. I need to sit down.

I make my way to my chair and Ana unhooks her legs so that they are bent on each side of me while I sit. She stays hidden in my neck, and she has one arm wrapped around my neck, squeezing it as if her life depends on it, but the other hand wanders up to my hair and tangles itself in the hair on the back of my head.

I rub her back and tell her that she is safe a couple more times before looking at Sawyer, who's sitting next to Taylor across the desk from me.

"What the hell happened?"

"I went to the restroom and when I came back, the door was closed and I could see Miss Steele pushed up against it through the opaque glass. I knocked hard on it and tried to push it open, but he held it shut. I thought about trying to break the glass, but I couldn't risk hurting Miss Steele. I kept pounding on it and trying to push it open while I was fumbling for my phone and then I heard Hyde yell and the door opened and Ms. Steele ran out and hid behind me. He was laying on his side, holding himself and that's when I realized she kicked him in the groin. For good measure, I kicked him a few more times in the kidneys and got her out of there."

My body is on fire. I can feel every beat of my heart through every pulse point in my body. I feel like a big, rageful organism hell bent on killing that fucker.

"What'd he do to Anastasia?"

"I don't know, sir. She hasn't spoken since we got into the car. She won't say."

I sigh and run my hands up and down her back again.

"Angel...can you tell us what happened?"

Her body tenses for a second and then she shakes her head against my neck.

I look at Taylor and then at Sawyer. "Will you tell me what happened if I make them leave."

She doesn't move. Maybe if I distract her first and let the shock wear off.

I suddenly feel her nod.

I look at Taylor and he gives me a nod before leaving with Sawyer, shutting the door behind them.

"Okay, baby. They're gone. Can you look at me?" I haven't even been able to check her over for marks.

She sniffles and pulls out of my neck and she's a mess. Her mascara is all over her face, her nose is running and her face is swollen and blotchy.

I hit the intercom on my desk. "Gail, please bring a warm, wet washrag to my office."

A moment later I Gail answers with a 'yes, sir'.

While we wait, I try to wipe the tears off her face. "Don't worry baby, I'll get you cleaned up and we'll make everything better."

She nods, but then her lip comes out in a pout and quivers before she dives for my neck.

My heart aches for her and I clear my throat to keep my own tears from bubbling over. "I've got you, Ana. I'm so sorry, baby." I rub her back in circles until Gail appears.

"Here you are, Mr. Grey." She hands it to me and frowns, eyeing Ana, on her way out.

"Okay, Ana. Let me see."

She reappears and I take my time cleaning her face. When I've got her makeup off and she's blown her nose and blotted her eyes, I give her a small smile.

"There's my Ana." I smooth her hair down. "Tell me what happened, angel."

I watch as she chews her lip and concentrates on my chest. I allow her a moment to get her thoughts together before requesting again.

"It started this morning, every time Sawyer would step out of the room."

"What'd he do?"

"He kept making comments about you...about how he knew things about you and knew who you really are. He said that it was dangerous being with you and that he could make you disappear if I wanted out...I tried to get my phone to call you, but he threatened to hurt Grace and Mia if I told you. He must have realized his efforts to scare me away from you and make him look like a hero weren't working." She chews her lip and frowns. "If they get hurt because of me, Christian..." She shakes her head and tears start pouring down her eyes.

"Shhh, don't worry. I'll get security for my whole family. Kate included." Now that the slag is carrying my nephew or niece, I can't risk it.

I want to kill this fucker. Not only is he messing with Anastasia, he's now threatening my family. I'll ruin him.

She gives me a watery smile. "Thank you, Christian. I'm sorry you have to suffer because of me."

"Stop that. I'm not suffering because of you. It isn't your fault that Hyde isn't stable. If he wasn't doing it to you, he'd be doing it to someone else...and at least we've got the resources to take this fucker down once and for all."

She nods. "I guess that's true."

"Now tell me what happened this afternoon."

Her deep frown appears again. "He kept staring at me and it was making me uncomfortable and I looked up from my work at him and he called me a cocktease and stood up...I panicked and stood, too and tried to make a run for it but he grabbed me and slammed the door, pushing me up against it." She stops and takes a deep, shuddering breath.

 _The fucker touched her._

"He touched you?"

She nods and dives again for my neck and sobs. My whole body tenses at the thought and my chest burns like it's one giant cigarette wound. I can't stop my own tears from falling anymore.

"Ana...where?" I croak out. I need to know.

She clears her throat and turns her head so she can speak, but she won't sit up. "He said that I've been a cocktease for too long and that it was time I paid the toll. He ran his hand over my chest and then forced my knees apart and rubbed me over my pants. He got the top button of my pants unbuttoned before Sawyer came back and while he was distracted with him, I knee'd him... and then when he fell over, I stomped on his crotch with my heel before running out."

 _Holy shit._ My girl can take care of herself.

"I know it was just over my pants, but I still feel dirty, Christian. I feel like I've betrayed you."

I pull her off my chest by her arms. "Anastasia! You did no such thing! This is not your fault! You are not allowed to blame yourself, do you understand?"

She sniffles and nods, but won't look at me. "Ana, baby. Please look at me."

Her eyes meet mine. "I am so sorry that you had to go through this. I promise you, I will make this better. Just let me take care of everything alright?"

She nods. "Yes, sir." She takes a deep, shaky breath. "I guess it's back to job hunting tomorrow."

"Why?"

Her eyebrows knit together. "I can't go back there, Christian!"

"You will not go back tomorrow, baby, but I promise you that you are not out of a job."

"What do you mean?"

I reach into my pocket for my phone and pull up Ros' number.

"Yes?" She answers.

"I want Seattle Independent Publishing by Monday." I keep my eyes on Ana and I watch her eyes widen into saucers.

"What? Are you drunk? Why so sudden?"

"Quit the shit, Ros. You know we've already pulled financials and backgrounds on it. I want the company. Get it. I don't care what we have to do to get it."

"C...this sounds personal...Are you sure?"

"It _is_ personal. I'm sure. Just do it." I hang up with her and immediately call my father.

"I'm going to warn my father real quick, baby. Just relax, okay? We'll get a bath soon and some food and then we'll get into bed and watch a movie."

She relaxes against me with her head on my shoulder while I wait for my father to pick up.

Four rings and I think it's going to go to voicemail, but he picks up. "Christian? Is everything okay?"

"No, Dad. We've gotten a threat on the family. I'm speaking to Taylor tonight about getting you all your own security, but until we can get them hired, I need you to be extremely careful with Mom and Mia. Can you call Elliot and warn him and Kate?"

"What? What's going on? Who?" My father sounds shocked.

"Jack Hyde. He's Anastasia's boss. We had an altercation and he's threatening to hurt Mom and Mia."

"Holy shit, Christian." He hisses into the phone.

"I know, Dad. Please...just let everyone know. I'll also need an order of protection for Anastasia."

"Ana? Is she okay?" He sounds panicked.

"Yes, Dad. She's pretty shaken up, but she's okay. Luckily, Sawyer was there."

"What are we going to do about Jack Hyde, son?"

"I'm buying the company and firing the fucker. I'll make sure no company will touch him within a thousand miles of here."

"Good."

My father's response almost makes me laugh.

"Take care of Anastasia, Christian. I'm going to get off here and warn the others."

"Thanks, Dad. I'll call you when I have more info for you."

I place my phone on my desk behind Anastasia and rub her back.

"I need to speak with Taylor and Sawyer. Do you want me to run you a bath so you can soak while we talk?"

"I want to stay with you." Her arm tightens around my neck again.

"Okay, baby. You'll stay right here." With my words, her arm relaxes again.

I hit the intercom and ask Taylor and Sawyer to come to my office.

Once they're settled into their seats, I begin. "Miss Steele has told me what happened, and I've decided to buy SIP and ruin the Hyde fucker. I've called Ros and she will have it in our possession by Monday. Miss Steele will stay home tomorrow, Sawyer, so I want you to help Taylor. She said that the fucker has threatened my family, so I'm going to need security for everyone in my family, including Miss Kavanagh. Miss Kavanagh is now pregnant, so we need to be especially careful that nothing happens to the child. I have already spoken to my father and warned him and he is letting the rest of the family know, as well as getting an order of protection ready for Miss Steele."

Sawyer sighs heavily and stares at the back of Anastasia, which is starting to piss me off. "Mr. Grey, I want to apologize profusely about leaving Miss Steele with Jack Hyde today. I was only gone for a few minutes...I should have never left her."

I want to be angry with Sawyer, but I can't, because all he was doing was relieving his bladder. Anastasia turns in my lap to look at him.

"Sawyer, please don't feel guilty. It isn't your fault. He was saying things to me all day and I should have said something to you before it happened. He was threatening to hurt Christian's family if I said anything and I was stupid enough to believe that he could get to them before Christian could do something. I wasn't thinking clearly. This is my fault."

"Stop. It is no one's fault except the fucker who can't keep his dick in his pants. He hurt Anastasia, he threatened my family...he will pay for what he did." I tell them, pulling Anastasia's back to my front and resting my head on her shoulder. "I doubt his threats have much merit, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. I'll need at least five more security for them. I'm sure my father is going to force Mia to stay in the house and he'll probably work from home. My mother won't stay away from the hospital though. I'd like you to talk to the security at the hospital, too. I can't have anything happen to her."

Taylor nods. "Sawyer and I will start looking through candidates tonight and will do interviews at Grey House tomorrow. I'll get a handful of NDA's printed out and ready, as well."

"Alright. I want to see who you choose before you interview. It'll probably be best to get a female CPO for Mia-" I hear Anastasia giggle, cutting me off and I smirk.

"Find something funny, Miss Steele?"

She bites her lip. "Let's just say that I completely agree with that statement, sir."

I see a shadow of a smile on Taylor's face and Sawyer is full out grinning. I'm sure Taylor feels the same way as Anastasia and I do. Sawyer, on the other hand, is probably just entertained by the two of us.

Anastasia turns her head and gives me a kiss on the cheek and I turn my head to peck her lips. I haven't kissed her all night.

"If there is nothing else, Taylor, we're going to go bathe. Tell Gail to have dinner ready in about forty-five minutes."

XxXxXx

Anastasia is leaning against me in the bath, playing with my fingers. "Why were you so sticky?" She asks.

I grin. "I was working out in the gym upstairs."

"There's a gym?" She sits up and turns, kneeling between my legs. The water is now below her nipple line and I have to force myself to keep my eyes on her face. Right now is not the time to jump her.

I nod. "There is. A small one. I don't use it very often. I usually use the one at Grey House."

"Definitely using it tomorrow." She mentions, holding up her arm and poking at her 'biceps'. "I need my guns."

I laugh. "Guns, huh?"

"Making fun of me, are you? Fine. Let me see yours."

I cock an eyebrow at her and raise my arms, flexing them.

"Oh, my. Now those are some big guns. Are you a sniper, Christian?" she reaches up and wraps both hands around my right bicep.

I laugh again. "You can say that."

She scowls playfully and I grab her and pull her to me so she's straddling my lap. "I've missed my playful, Ana."

She grins and cups my face in her hands. "Same goes for you, Mr. Grey." She pulls my face to hers and gives me the first proper kiss of the night.

"Mmm, thank you, baby. Give me another." I cup the back of her head and pull her in again.

As my tongue slips into her mouth, she leans into me and I feel her nipples brush up against my chest, signaling my dick to rise. It presses against her asscheek and she hums and raises enough for it to stand and she grabs it and lowers herself back down on top of me. When my head slips into her core, I pull my lips off of hers and look at her. Her eyes are hazy and her eyelids are heavy as she sinks down the rest of the way.

"Ana... are you sure? We don't have to."

"Yes, Christian. I need you." Her blue eyes are begging and I can't tell her no. Hell, I don't want to tell her no.

"Okay, baby. I'm here. I'm yours." I tell her, trying to comfort her.

She hums and her mouth dives for mine again. I grip her hips and help her move, making her clit grind against the length of my dick as I slide in and out.

"Fuck...Christian...fuck." She groans. "So intense." Her eyes roll back and close as her head falls back.

She tries to quicken her pace, but I grip her hips tight and force her to keep the pace. "Slow, baby."

She whimpers at me, making me grin.

"I promise it'll be worth it."

I start moving my hips with hers and she cries out and a groan comes from my own lips. I clench my jaw to keep myself nonverbal.

Her fingers grip my shoulders and she begins to pant. "That's my good girl, Anastasia. Come, baby. I'm right there with you."

Her whimper becomes a scream and her whole body shudders. I grab her and hold her to me as my own orgasm explodes.

"Fuck, Ana! Fuck." I growl and bite down on her shoulder.

"CHRISTIAN!" It throws her into another orgasm and I have to hold her to me as she tries to squirm away.

"Feel it, baby. Don't run away from it." I tell her and suck on the same spot on her shoulder I just bit down on.

She whimpers my name again and her squirms stop and she relaxes against me.

We're both still panting when she sits up again and I slip out of her. "Holy shit."

I grin at her.

"Did you do that on purpose?"

I shake my head. I had no idea that it would send her spiraling out of control, but fuck...I can't wait to do it again.

She reaches up and touches her neck. "Am I bleeding?"

I shake my head. "Just a few marks that'll be gone by morning."

She smiles at me and kisses me again.

"You liked it?"

She nods. "It was so erotic, Christian. Hearing you growl and feeling your teeth and the sting that came with it...fuck." Her whole body shivers at the thought and I grin.

 _Smug bastard_.

She turns away from me and leans up against me to rest.

"Ready for me to wash your hair now, Miss Steele?"

She nods against me and sits up, grabbing the cup off the side of the tub so I can wet her hair.

XxXxXx

I dry her off first and send her on her way so she can get dressed while I finish. I feel exhausted and it isn't even dinner, yet.

I head out into our bedroom and see her slipping on my button-down that I took off when I got home. I cock an eyebrow at her and she smiles at me. "It smells like freshly-showered Christian."

I laugh. "I showered at work today and put it on." She starts buttoning it and I realize she fully intends to wear it the rest of the night. "Stealing my shirt, Miss Steele?"

She grins. "Mine now."

"If you're sure about that, we might as well finish your stolen ensemble."

Her eyebrow quirks and I disappear into the closet to grab what I need. I slip into a pair of pajama pants and pull on a blue t-shirt and then grab her a pair of my boxer-briefs for her to wear.

I emerge from the closet and wave them in front of me. "Get your little naked ass over here before you catch cold."

She giggles her way over and I bend down to slip them up her legs and snap them purposely against her hip bone. I step back and take her in. I like the way her thick creamy thighs look in my black boxer-briefs. I don't get to stare long, because she pulls my shirt back down and they're hidden below my button-down.

"Are you hungry, Anastasia?"

She nods. "Starved. I was too upset to eat my lunch today."

I frown. "We better get you fed, then."

XxXxXx

After dinner, we head back to the bedroom and get comfortable. Anastasia looks around the room and frowns.

"Where's the TV? I thought we were going to watch a movie."

I grin at her and pull out the remote from my nightstand and hit a button. The footboard top starts to raise and a TV rises out of it. I watch Anastasia and her expression is priceless.

"That's got to be the coolest thing I have ever seen."

I chuckle at her shock. "Just wait until I get you into my helicopter."

She looks at me and her eyes widen even more. They look like they might just pop out of her head.

"Another day, Anastasia. Blink before your eyes fall out and start rolling around the room."

She closes her eyes and hides behind her hands, laughing. _She is so fucking adorable._

"What do you want to watch, baby?" I pull up the Pay-Per-View and scroll through.

"OOH!" She startles me and I almost drop the remote. "That one! Flying Home! Oh, please let us watch it!"

She's acting like a five year old and I can't help, but laugh. "Okay, Ana. What is it about?" I click on it and wait for it to download.

"It's about this rich guy named Colin who goes overseas to make a deal about a bird and he has to manipulate a man into giving him his special bird and he ends up falling for the guy's granddaughter and comes back for her."

My eyebrows raise. "It's about a bird?"

She face palms. "No, Christian. It's about how this hard, dominant businessman falls in love with a girl he should have never even had feelings for and chooses to give up what he thinks is most important to him so that they can be together."

 _Oh, fuck._ Is this her way of subtly telling me something?"

I read her face, but it doesn't look like she has an ulterior motive.

"Oh, please, Christian! It's a lovely romance story. Let's watch it." She looks up at me with big doe eyes and her lip pops out. _Oh, fuck me._

"Fine." I give in.

She is beaming and settles in, in the crook between my arm and shoulder and I twirl her hair around my finger. A habit I've noticed I now have.

When I hit the play button, she grins. "Plus, the guy who plays Colin is really cute."

 _What the fuck?_ "Uh huh..." The remote is resting on my stomach and as soon as I glance at it, she grabs it and places it on the opposite side of the bed.

"Nope. We're already invested. You're watching it." She tells me.

I growl. "I would spank you, but you'd like it too much."

She hums. "I'll take a rain check. Flying Home first."

The first scene pops on and she snuggles into my side to watch it.

My heart swells with affection for this girl. I love how playful we are together. I lean down and kiss her head. "I love-" _WHAT THE FUCK AM I SAYING?_ "...this.

 _Fuck, that was close. PUMP THE BREAKS, GREY!_

She cranes her head and grins up at me. "Me too, Christian. I like getting you all to myself."

I grin. "You just want cuddled."

She giggles. "Only by you. I didn't know cuddling could be so much fun."

I snort. _Fun._ Yes, I guess I could call it fun...since it usually leads to taking our clothes off and fucking like rabbits.


	7. The 'L' Word

**A/N: Pinterest is updated. NineN3Quarters**

It's 11:00 am and I'm exhausted. I was up all night with Anastasia, who kept having nightmares every couple hours. I feel terrible that she has to go through this. It's my job to make it better, and I'm failing terribly. If I would have just gone down to SIP like I wanted, it wouldn't have happened. Of course, he wouldn't have tried anything...that day. He might have victimized her even further if he had longer to do it. I really don't think she would have told me what he had said and threatened if he wouldn't have attacked her physically. Who knows how long he could have verbally assaulted her without anyone knowing.

I didn't want to go in today, but I knew I had meetings with my lawyers about Elena's salons. I'm writing up a few different contracts and will decide which one to pull out when seeing her. If she pisses me off enough, I'll make sure she'll never be wealthy again.

I need to call Anastasia and warn her about me seeing Elena. I want to be open with her about it. I don't want her to hear it from anyone else and think I purposely kept it from her. I've spoken to her about the conversation Elena and I had at my parents and Anastasia is furious. So furious that I don't have any doubt that my 5'2 one-hundred pound girl could take that 5'7 domme out. _Maybe I should warn Elena._ The thought makes me laugh.

I ring Anastasia and she answers on the second ring.

"Hello?"

"Hi, baby. I need to speak to you about something."

"Oh?" She sounds nervous.

"Nothing between us. I've got to meet with Elena today to finish signing the contract. She has to come to Grey House."

Silence. _Well, this isn't good._

"Ana?"

"May I speak freely, sir?"

I frown. I don't like that she feels the need to ask this. "Of course you can. I want you to tell me what's on your mind."

"I'm not comfortable with this, Christian."

"Why?" _Does she think I'm going to cheat on her with that troll?_

"She's going to try to use the fact that I'm not there to her advantage and, if she doesn't like the contract, she's got a large audience to watch her dramatics."

"What am I supposed to do, Ana? Do you want to come here?"

Silence. _W_ _hat the fuck._

"No...have her come here."

"WHAT?"

I hear her giggle and for the first time, it annoys me. _She's outright laughing at me._

She must know I'm annoyed, because she apologizes.

"I'm sorry, sir. You just startled me so much, it made me laugh."

I sigh. "You're forgiven. Now tell me why you want her in our home."

"Well, for one, there won't be an audience. You can have Taylor and Sawyer right there with you and I'll be in close proximity."

"...Okay...baby, I need a better reason than that."

"Um... well..." I can just imagine her face flushing.

"What is it, baby?"

"Well...if you tell her to come to your home...she might think that you're going soft for her again...and then when you pull out the big guns, she'll be even more shocked and distraught." She giggles at the end and my mouth hits the floor.

"My little Ana...an evil mastermind...who knew?"

She laughs harder and I chuckle with her.

"Remind me not to get on your bad side, alright?" I tell her playfully.

"Hmm...nope. Sorry, Grey. You're on your own with that one."

 _This girl._ "Oh, Anastasia...don't get your mouth into something your ass can't handle, little girl."

She hums. "Bring it on, baby. I'm sure my ass can handle anything you throw at it."

My cock is pushing hard against the zipper of my pants. _Fuck, I want her._

"I don't know about _throwing_ anything, but I assure that little ass of yours it'll meet something besides my hand tonight."

"I'll get the aloe, sir."

I'm tempted to tell my lawyers to fuck off for one more day, so that I can go home and play, but I know I need to get this over with.

"That's my good girl. Draw yourself a hot bath and soak for awhile. I want you nice and recharged for tonight."

"But it'll be so lonely all by myself..."

 _Holy fuck._ "Go on, baby. Do as I say...and no touching yourself. It may be between your legs, but it belongs to me. Tell me you understand."

I hear her huff into the phone and I smile.

"Anastasia...tell me you understand."

"Fine...I understand... _sir."_ _Oh, really?_ That mouth...She's not this bold in person.

"Oh, Miss Steele...I can't wait to fuck that smart mouth of yours. I will see you at 4:00 pm. I want you in lingerie with a robe on when I come home."

"Yes, sir."

XxXxXx

It's been half an hour since I hung up with my sassy Anastasia and my lawyers are going over what the first contract entails. My phone pings and Anastasia's name pops up.

I unlock my phone and open my texts. It's a multimedia message from her.

I click on it and up pops a picture of her legs soaking in a pink bubble bath. The text reads _*Doing what I'm told, Sir.*_

 _Sir with a capital 'S' huh?_ My eyes flicker up to the two lawyers in front of me to make sure they aren't looking, and tilt my phone just in case.

 _*That's my good girl, Anastasia. Now send me a picture of the other half, baby.*_

I hold my phone in my hand, waiting for a reply. I don't want to even put it down. Unlocking it again would be too long. _I wonder if she's bold enough._ I have a feeling that today she might be. She's been bolder today than I've ever seen her before and I know she's horny, which only makes her bolder.

My cell pings again and it's a picture of her with her hair on top of her head; she's biting that sexy, plump lip of hers and the skin on her chest is a beautiful shade of light pink from the heat of the bath. I can see the tops of her breasts, but they're submerged in the bubbles too far for me to see anything but the top mound.

 _Tease._

 _*Get on your knees and send me another, Anastasia.*_

That should lift her out of the water enough.

"Mr. Grey..."

My name lurches me out of my own little world of Ana.

I lock my phone and rest it on my leg. "Yes?"

"Sir, you really should be paying attention to this."

 _Fuck off._ "Let's take a fifteen minute coffee break and meet back here." I need to recharge if I'm going to play tonight and I'm not willing to wait for that picture.

I buzz Andrea as they make their way out.

"Yes, Mr. Grey?"

"Go downstairs to Starbucks and get me a Venti iced caramel macchiato with almond milk and an extra shot." _Healthy, Grey._ At this point, I don't give a shit.

"Yes, sir."

When my phone pings, I almost drop it. I feel like a fourteen year old kid who's found porn for the first time.

I groan when I see her picture and thank God that they closed my door so that no one heard me.

She's finally sent me the one I wanted. Her alabaster skin is pink and looks soft even in the picture. Her pink buds are wet and hard and I wonder if it's from the cold or if they were already that way while she was in the bath. _Fuck, I want to go home._ My erection is swollen and throbbing in my pants and I know it isn't going to go away anytime soon, so I take my phone into my private bathroom and prop my phone on the back of my toilet so I can use her picture while I jack off. I fumble with my belt..and even that makes my dick twitch at the thought of Anastasia. After too much fumbling, my dick finally springs free as I pull my bottoms down to my knees and I grasp myself firmly while I concentrate on her doe eyes, those full pink lips and the warm pink skin of her breasts. It doesn't take long before I'm coming into the toilet and grunting her name and I have to put my hand against the wall above the toilet to keep myself up while I pant.

I feel my dick deflate and relax in my hand and I use toilet paper to clean off the end and wipe a few spots off the seat, where I missed the bowl. I right my clothes, shut the lid and flush before I wash my hands. Only when they are dry, do I grab my phone and realize I never sent her a message back.

Just seeing the picture again makes my dick twitch and I click the reply button so that it leaves my screen. I'll never get through this day if I keep staring at her.

 _*Thank you, baby. You're beautiful. I could masturbate to that picture all day.*_

I'm sitting back down at my desk just as there is a knock on my door. "Come in."

Andrea appears with my coffee and disappears without a word.

 _*Sir, that isn't very fair.*_ It is accompanied by a picture of Anastasia pouting in the bath.

I grin. _*I promise I'll make it up to you tonight. Now, stop distracting me. I've got work to do!*_

I put my phone in the top drawer of my desk so that she can't distract me anymore.

I like this no work thing for Anastasia. She is so playful during the day. A part of me feels like I should ask her to stay home instead of work, but it's fleeting because I know she wants to work and I would never get any work done if she _did_ stay home.

XxXxXx

After I meet with my lawyers and tweak the contracts that I'm going to present to Elena, I have Andrea call Elena like it is any other appointment she is setting up. I have given her an overview on what to say, the time, and to keep their interaction as short as possible. I tell Andrea to tell Elena that I am too busy if she asks to speak to me and to report to me as soon as she is finished.

There is a knock on my door and I already know it is Andrea.

"Come in, Andrea."

Her head pops in before her body and she sits in the chair in front of me. "I've spoken with Mrs. Lincoln, sir. She states that the lawyers that you requested aren't needed and that she'll be there at 5:00 pm."

Just as I hoped. She wants to be alone with me, and has decided against having a lawyer read it for her. This is just too easy.

I give her a smile and a nod. "Thank you, Andrea."

Her eyes widen. "Um...you're welcome, Mr. Grey. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Yes, as matter of fact. Please order two bouquets of wildflowers. Send them both to my house before I get home. One to Anastasia Steele and the other to Gail Jones."

She nods as she writes furiously on her iPad.

"Anything in particular written on the notes, sir?"

I run my finger over my bottom lip and think. "Yes." I grab a piece of paper and my fountain pen.

 _Anastasia,_

 _I'll see you at 4, baby._

 _Christian XX_

 _Gail,_

 _I'm sorry. The wildflowers were a lovely idea and I never meant to scare you._

 _Mr. Grey_

I know I will have to apologize to Gail in person when I see her, but I feel the need to send her something special now. I was out of my head when I did it and have felt guilty ever since.

I hand Andrea the paper with my scribble on it and dismiss her.

XxXxXx

As soon as it hits 3:30 pm, I'm shuffling into my jacket and grabbing my briefcase so that I can go home to Anastasia and have a go-around before Elena shows her face. I practically run out of my office, to my elevator and can't get down to the car fast enough. As I'm making my way down the twenty one floors to the below ground parking garage, I find my leg bouncing impatiently.

I laugh. I don't remember the last time I was so excited about something. I need to see my girl.

Finally, the doors open and I step out. Taylor already has the car pulled up the my elevator and I hop in. _He needs a raise._

My phone vibrates, and I see that it's the front desk at Escala. _Hmm._

"Grey."

"Hello, Mr. Grey. This is Kendall, the receptionist at Escala."

"Hello. What can I do for you, Kendall?"

"I have an Elena Lincoln in the lobby, stating she has a meeting with you? She tried to use the elevator code, but it didn't work and I see here that she's on the blocked list. She said she tried to call you herself, but it wouldn't go through, so I thought it was best to let you know. Should I have security escort her out, sir?"

I smile. This girl is going to get a generous tip. "No, leave her in the lobby. Do not allow her up until I get there. I'll come to the lobby to collect her myself."

"Yes, sir. Thank you."

"Thank you, Kendall."

I hang up my phone and chuckle. "Taylor, drop me off at the front door of Escala. Elena thought it would be a good idea to come over an hour early and try to let herself into the apartment."

Taylor's eyebrows knit together in annoyance, but he keeps his mouth shut. "Yes, sir."

There are sometimes that I wish Taylor would say what he is thinking, but I know he won't. Too bad I can't read minds; wouldn't that be entertaining?

I should have known Elena would try to come early. Now, I can't have Anastasia before I deal with her. _I should make her sit in the office while I take Anastasia in bed._ Maybe I could make her scream loud enough for Elena to hear...

I know it's juvenile, so my dick is going to have to wait. I don't think Anastasia would appreciate me fucking her and then leaving the room to tend to Elena right after, anyway. My girl likes to be held and loved on afterward. I've spoiled her. I grin at the thought. I like spoiling my angel.

Taylor stops the SUV and I realize we've made it to Escala. I jump out before he can climb out to open my door and tell him to go straight upstairs and be available to escort Elena out when needed.

As I head in, the receptionist greets me with a smile. In my periphery, see Elena stand up from her spot in the corner chair, but I ignore her.

"Hello, Kendall. I want to thank you again for warning me." I reach into my back pocket and slip a $100 bill out of my wallet and hand it to her. Her eyes widen and her shaky hand takes it.

"Oh...thank you, sir. This is...too much. I've-"

"Don't be silly. I know they don't pay you much and you deserve a reward for following the protocols. Enjoy it." I give her an honest smile and she nods.

"I will. Thank you."

I hear footsteps and look over my shoulder at Elena. "Mrs. Lincoln will only be here for a short time. When you see her leave, she isn't to be allowed back in, do you understand? She is to remain on the blocked list."

"I understand, Mr. Grey."

I give Kendall a nod.

"Christian! Hello, darling."

My light mood has just turned sour. A scowl returns to my face and I turn toward her.

"Elena." She's wearing a black trench coat and I can see the top of something lacy peeping out of the front. _Just fucking great._ She really was expecting me to go back to her.

"Come." I bark.

I make my way towards the elevator with her hurrying to catch up to me. I punch in the four digit code before she even makes it to the door and she barely gets herself in before the doors close. _Pity._

"What has gotten into you, Christian?" She asks, slowly slipping off her trench coat. "Do you need to let off some steam?"

I keep my eyes on the door in front of me, but through my periphery I can tell that her outfit isn't audience friendly. _She's batshit crazy if she thinks that's going to make me want her._

"After everything you've pulled, Elena, you have no right asking _me_ that." I retort.

"What did you expect me to do? You were taking away my salons! I had to go to Grace; she's the only one that knows how to-"

 _Shut the fuck up about my mother._ "Enough, Elena. Why did you come so early?"

"I just thought I'd have a glass of wine and wait for you to get home...I was hoping to maybe have a drink with Anastasia and have a chat before you and I...well, anyway, she needs to know the real Christian..."

My hands squeeze into fists, my heart-rate doubles and I see red.

Before I know what's happened, I find myself pinning Elena against the wall with one hand around her throat and the other hand holding her hands above her head.

"Don't you dare even think about speaking to Anastasia." I growl between my clenched teeth.

Her green eyes are wide and her face is deep red from all the blood pooling in it. I come to and drop my hands, taking a few steps back to find my bearings.

She coughs a few times and rubs her throat. "Wow, Christian. I forgot just how strong you are." She gives me a smile and takes a step forward, but I put a hand out stopping her.

"Don't."

"Christian...doesn't this show you that you need this lifestyle? I've never seen you so out of control. We were good together, Christian. I gave you what you needed. That little girl can't give you anything."

I shake my head. "You placated me when I was out of control. Anastasia gives me everything I need...even the things I never realized I needed."

She huffs, but doesn't get to say anything else, because the elevator dings and the doors open.

I make my way out and let her follow me through the foyer and into the great room.

"Christian, you're home!" The sound of my girl's voice relieves all the pressure in my chest.

I watch her jump off the couch and she hurries over to me. I realize she isn't slowing down, so I ready myself to catch her as she jumps up, into my arms.

Her lips meet mine and her kiss makes me go weak in the knees. _Holy fuck._

"I've missed you." She mentions, leaning her forehead against mine.

"Me, too, baby." I notice she has on a black, silk robe and I slip a hand up her thigh and under her robe to squeeze her ass. I feel something skimpy and lacy that barely covers her core and my cock twitches at the thought.

She hums as I knead her backside. "Thank you for my flowers, Christian. How did you know I love wildflowers?"

I grin. "A little birdie told me."

She giggles and I nuzzle my nose with hers. _Fuck, I've missed her._

"Hello, Anastasia." _Shit._ I forgot she was even here.

My girl's face turns dark and she tightens her arms and legs around me. "Hello, Mrs. Lincoln."

Elena cocks an eyebrow and waits expectantly for something, but I'm not sure what.

She sighs. "Anastasia, Mr. Grey has company. Don't you find it a little inappropriate to be clinging to him like a common parasite? Get down."

 _Fuck you, bitch._ I tighten my hold on Anastasia.

"I am Christian's. I submit to him and to him only. If he feels as if I am being inappropriate, he will voice it himself. I have no reason to obey you...and I won't."

"How dare you speak to me in that manner in your master's house! Christian! This little bitch needs to be punished."

"Fuck off, Elena. I will decide if and when Anastasia needs reprimanded. This is _our_ home and Anastasia is my girlfriend, not my contracted submissive. I am her boyfriend, not her master. You _will_ respect her."

Elena puts her hands on her hips. _Oh, shit. Here we go._ "I don't appreciate-"

"No, you know what's not appreciated? You being so disrespectful to Christian in his own home and barking orders at him, as if he's a below par dom. Emasculating the man who has complete control of what happens to your salons is a very stupid move on your part, Mrs. Lincoln. Just keep digging the hole you're already in. Soon, it'll swallow you whole."

I'm sure I look like a deer in the headlights while I watch Anastasia duke it out with Elena. Just as expected, she can hold her own, and fuck, if it doesn't turn me on. Anastasia looks at me and smiles, seeing my face.

"You're incredible." I tell her and her smile widens.

Elena's face a weird mixture of red and purple and, by the looks of it, could explode right off her shoulders. I know exactly what would push her over the edge.

I reach behind my neck and take Anastasia's hand, bringing it to my lips to kiss her palm. I look into Anastasia's bright blue eyes and place her palm against my chest. Her eyes widen for a fraction of a second, but then she realizes what I'm doing and smiles.

Her palm is warm, even through my shirt, and the pressure makes my skin tingle, but it doesn't hurt. I can actually feel my arousal radiating from deep in my stomach. _I like it._ I like feeling the warmth from my angel.

Elena lets out a loud, frustrated growl and stomps towards my office, which is still locked. I laugh when she almost runs right into my door when it doesn't open.

"Christian! I don't have time for this. I have things to do." She barks from my office door.

"Considering you weren't supposed to even be here, yet...I highly doubt you do. You'll wait until I finish saying hello to my girl." I tell her and carry Anastasia over to the couch, where I sit down with her straddling my lap.

Anastasia rests her arms on my shoulders and slides forward so that she's closer. Her hands find my hair and she smiles at me before kissing my lips softly.

I eye the tie on her robe and slowly pull on the end so that it unties itself. She opens the robe and holds it out straight so that I'm the only one that can see what she has on underneath.

"Oh, fuck." It's black, it's lacy, it's barely there. The dark color makes her skin even more alabaster. I'm hard within seconds.

She giggles and shimmies against my hard-on. "You like, sir?"

I nod and lick my lips. "I can't wait to get this over with so I can take you to our bed and ravish you."

"You do have a lot to make up for, sir."

I grin. "Were you a good girl?"

"Unfortunately." She says, dryly and I laugh. I take her in one more time before taking the robe from her and closing it, tying it closed for her.

"Then I'll make it up to you."

"With this?" She asks, pulling on my belt buckle.

"If you wish."

"Oh, yes." She nods.

I smile and pull her in for a kiss before tapping her thigh, signalling her to move. She climbs off of me and sits cross-legged next to me. I stand and pull my jacket off, draping it over her.

"I won't be long. Stay here, baby, and I'll carry you to bed."

She smiles. "Yes, sir."

She snuggles deeper into the couch and pulls the neck of my jacket up to her nose, breathing in deep.

I smile and shake my head. _How did I get so lucky?_

I force myself to turn and head towards my office to deal with the bitch. She's leaning against the wall next to my door, looking annoyed. _Good._

I pick up my briefcase that Taylor left at my door and pull out my keys from my pocket to open the door.

Once we're inside, I place my briefcase on the desk between us and roll up my sleeves. She's staring at my intently and it's starting to piss me off.

"What?" I ask, opening my briefcase.

"I just never knew you were so stupid, Christian."

 _Fuck it._ The bitch is going down. I had my lawyers make up three different contracts for her, so that I could decide which one I wanted to present to her when she got here.

First contract: I gift it to her. _I'll burn this fucker._

Second contract: I sell the business and let her keep what she has in the bank. _Nope._

Third contract: I let her keep the business, but she has six months to pay my company sixty percent of Esclava's worth. _Oh, yes._

She'll either have to get a bank loan or find a private backer to help pay what is owed. She doesn't have enough cash in the bank to pay out. I've had my team check. Between what she got from Linc and what she's stowed away from cashing in on the business, she only has about half of what is owed. No bank is stupid enough to loan her money since I carried the business. She can't prove she can run it without me. She'll have to find a private backer...and something tells me she'll be shit out of luck.

I do my best to keep my grin off my face as I pull it out. I hand it to her and ask her again if she'd like me to call a lawyer in to help her read through it.

"No, Christian! I know what I'm doing!" She snaps.

"Very well, Elena." I nod and sit back while she reads.

"This isn't gifting me the company, Christian! This is making me pay you!"

I nod. "All you have to do is find the money to pay and it's all yours. I'm sure you can go to the bank and get a loan. Esclava does very well."

She chews her lip. "But what if the bank won't help me?"

I shrug. "Then find a private backer." _Just sign it._

Her eyes widen for a second and then she flips through the pages, realizing. I grin.

"The third salon isn't in here! You have already paid for the construction and the building! Where is it?"

The third isn't worth hardly anything since we haven't opened it yet and it is in mid-construction, so I sold it back to the bank and washed my hands of it. I knew she would have been making a hefty profit compared to what she would have had to pay me for it. _Does she really think I'm going to make it easy for her?_

"The bank owns it now. It isn't ours. "

She jumps up, ready to scream, but then an evil grin forms on her face and she sits back down. "Oh, I will. I'm sure your parents will have no problem helping me out since their son is fucking me out the ass over this deal."

My eyes widen for a fraction of a second, but I recover quickly. _The bitch._ I want her to rot. My parents will never understand why I am doing this to her. I'm not only doing this for me, but for my mother, as well. She has done nothing, but manipulate and control their friendship and my mother deserves more than this bitch.

My heart skips a beat, realizing. The only way that I can make sure they do not help her is telling them. Elena has given me no choice, but to tell my parents about us. _Fuck._ I'll have to tell them on Sunday before she can get any money out of them on Monday.

 _Shit._ Can I really do this?

 _Keep your cool, Grey._

"If that's what you feel you should do, Elena." I tell her dryly.

She's surprised at my answer. _Yeah, bitch._ I realize now that it was a ploy to get me to gift it to her, but I refuse.

I place a pen in front of her and her eyebrows crinkle with worry.

"If you aren't wanting the salons, then I'll just sell them, Elena. It's alright. You don't have to sign." I bend forward and go to grab the contract, but she yanks it out of my grasp.

I hide my smile behind my hand. She did exactly what I wanted her to do.

She takes a deep breath and grabs the pen. She flips through each page, initialing at the bottom of each, indicating she's read it, and then signs and dates the last page before handing it to me. I follow her lead and do the same before unstapling it and running it through the fax to send to my lawyers and then again, to copy it for her.

I staple both stacks and hand her the copy of the original. "It's all yours, Elena. You must make your first payment by the end of next month and must have the complete amount paid off by the end of February. Good luck with the bank. I hope you enjoy owning your own salon." I stand to shake her hand, but she just looks at it. She actually looks like she might start crying again.

 _I don't have time for that shit._

I busy myself with unlocking my filing cabinet and placing the manila folder in its place, before locking it again. I then take the other two contracts out of my briefcase and send them through the shredder, giving her time to find her composure.

I swivel back around in my chair to face her and she has her handbag in her hand and her trench coat back on. "I need to go."

I nod and hit the intercom button. "Taylor, please show Elena out."

I follow her out of the office, locking it behind me and leave her there to wait for Taylor while I go get my girl.

Anastasia smiles up at me when she sees me and I smile back down at her. She uncurls herself and I pick her up, my jacket and all, and carry her to our bedroom. On our way, out of the corner of my eye, I see Anastasia wave her fingers in goodbye and then lean down to suck on my neck.

"Little minx." I say quietly, making her giggle against my neck.

"Mine." She states, nipping at my adam's apple.

Once in our room, I throw the door shut and put her down in front of the bed. She stands and clasps her hands together, waiting for direction. _Good girl._

I take my time and untie my tie. "Robe off."

She quickly does as I ask and awaits further instruction.

"Turn."

She turns, facing the bed.

"Hands."

Her hands come together behind her and I tie them together, using my tie. I grab her and throw her on the bed, her ass in the air, and take off my belt.

"How many before I fuck you, Anastasia?"

Her ass wiggles and I lick the back of her thigh lightly with my belt. "Still."

She hisses. "I don't like that, sir!"

"You aren't meant to like it. Tell me, Anastasia. How many?"

"Ten."

"Okay, baby. Count."

By the time I make it to ten, she is moaning and wiggling all over the place.

"Please, sir. Please take my panties off and fuck me." She begs, looking back at me. I know I owe her a few orgasms tonight.

"Do you need a release, Anastasia?"

"Yes, sir."

"Okay, baby." I yank on the tie and release her hands and then grab her, flipping her over. She squeals and giggles.

"You're overdressed, Christian."

I smirk at her and start unbuttoning my shirt. She watches me and licks her lips, wiggling her hips against the bed.

"Show me what's mine, Anastasia."

Her knees part and her legs are wide-open. "Christian...please."

"Please, what, baby?"

"Touch me. I'm going to burst." Her hand slides down her stomach and over her underwear where she presses her fingers against her pantie-clad center.

 _Fuck, I want her._

"That isn't yours to touch, Miss Steele." I remind, climbing onto the bed.

"Christian..." She whimpers and I know I can't tease her any longer.

I slip my hand into her panties and force two fingers into her core, making her mewl.

"I. Want. You. So. Much." I tell her, thrusting my fingers into her with each word.

Her hips start moving in rhythm with my fingers and I lean down and kiss her nose. "That's my girl. Fuck my fingers, baby."

She whimpers and grabs my arm with both hands, holding it in place while her hips start bucking. I start scissoring the fingers inside of her and watch her. I love seeing her like this. My dick is hard as a rock and hurts, but I try to ignore it. I want her to come like this.

"Christian...Christian..." her head rolls from one side to the other and back again an I use my thumb to press against her clit.

Her fingernails dig into my arms and her hips come off the bed as she shakes and cries out my name. When she relaxes, her limbs become limp and she sighs.

"Thank God. Finally." She mumbles and I grin.

"Already done, Miss Steele?"

She shakes her head vigorously. "Not even close, sir."

I grin down at her. _I'd really like to see her tied up and spread eagle on the playroom bed._

"Angel, baby...are you up for some playtime upstairs?"

She hums. "Yes, sir. Will you carry me?"

XxXxXx

Ten minutes later, she is bound by each of her wrists and ankles, each tied to a wooden post on each corner of the bed. She's blindfolded, naked and beautiful and so wet. My mouth waters at the thought. I slide my naked self up the center of the bed, enjoying the feeling of the red, silk sheets against my naked body, until my mouth is hovering above her apex.

She inhales sharply, a sort of a shudder, and I wonder if she can feel my breath against her. I dip down and bury my face into her and get to work, drinking her up. Tasting her, feeling her heat, hearing her moan... is too much. My dick is throbbing painfully and I start humping the mattress just to find a little relief.

As soon as she comes, I'm up on my knees, rubbing my rock hard dick against her heat.

"Oh, Christian..." She tries to grind against me, but can't.

"Is this what you want, Anastasia?"

"Yes! Oh, please, sir."

I continue to rub myself up and down her opening and her breath keeps getting caught in her throat every time my tip teases her opening. _I don't want this to end._

She keeps mewling, whimpering, and moaning and I wonder how wet I can actually make her.

I slip into her and her head rolls back. "Yes, yes..."

I slip back out of her and rub myself against her slit. "Christian...I can't..."

"Doesn't it feel good, baby?" I ask, teasing her.

Her lips form into a pout. "Yes, but-"

"Aren't you enjoying it?"

"Yes...but, sir-"

"Then relax and feel it, baby." I slip into her once more and pull out, rubbing up and down her slit again. I do this a few more times and I hear her sniffle.

"Ana?"

"I can't...I can't...I need you. I'm calling yellow, sir."

My heart skips a beat. _No._ I slip into her and continue to move in and out. "I'm sorry, baby." I lay on top of her and pull off her blindfold. Her eyes are wet from tears and I reach up to wipe them. "Oh, baby...no. Please don't cry. I'm sorry."

She sniffles and shakes her head. "Just don't stop." Her eyes flutter close as I move faster.

"I won't." I kiss her eyelids, her cheekbones, her nose, and then her lips.

"I want to touch you." She says quietly and I can't deny her this. _Fuck this dom shit._

I reach over and tug her binding loose and then do the same to the opposite side. "You're free, Ana."

Her arms wrap around my neck and her fingers grip my hair, pulling my mouth to hers. When she releases my lips, she opens her eyes and smiles up at me, causing my smile to mirror hers. I press my forehead to hers and nuzzle my nose against hers as I continue to pump in and out of her. I concentrate on her big, blue eyes and thick, black eyelashes and I find myself being overcome with emotion.

"I love you, Anastasia." I whisper. My heart thuds hard in my chest, hearing myself say it out loud.

Her eyes widen and I wonder if I've made a mistake. She starts to cry and I panic and start to rise to leave her, but she hold onto my head, forcing me to stay.

"I love you, Christian." She states quietly. My chest bursts as she lets out a sob and my lips crash into hers. I wrap my arms around her, squeezing her as close as I can to me while I push her into the mattress. I don't pull away until my lungs are burning.

When I open my eyes, I realize my own eyelashes and cheeks are wet. "Say it again." I demand. I need to hear it.

"I love you, Christian. I love you so much."

"And I love you." I answer, making her beam.

I rise up above her, making sure to keep myself buried inside of her and pull us both down the bed enough for me to lean back and untie her feet.

"Wrap your legs around me, baby."

Once she's locked her legs around me, I slide us both back up so her head is resting comfortably on the pillow while we continue to make love.

"Christian...I'm so close..." She tightens her hold on me and I can feel her start to throb.

"Let go, love. Let me feel you."

Her chin lifts and her mouth opens into an 'O' and she detonates around me. I still, forcing myself not to come. I'm not ready to stop, yet.

When I've given myself enough time to settle, I start up again, but after a few thrusts, I find myself needing to stop again. _Fuck, I'm sensitive._

Anastasia's hands slip from the back of my head to my cheeks and I concentrate on her face.

"It's okay, Christian...come. Mark me...please."

 _Fuck._ I shudder against her as I shoot inside of her, and call out her name.

I cannot believe she gave me an order. I haven't taken orders in bed since Elena...and here, my body obeys Anastasia like a puppy... _and in my playroom._ I should be furious about this. I should want to punish Anastasia...punish myself for obeying...but I don't have it in me. I find myself not minding it...even liking it. I love this girl... _and she loves me._ Fucked up, domineering, stubborn me. A part of me knows she shouldn't, but I'm too selfish to care. _She. Loves. Me. ME._ No one else. _She's mine._

I roll us over and pull her against me so that she's curled into my chest. I take her hand and place it on my chest. _I need her touch._ It tingles like it did earlier, but is more intense. Skin-on-skin and it's incredible. I can already feel my dick starting to stir. I keep my eyes on her face and she stares at her hand with wide eyes.

"I love your touch, Anastasia." I tell her, reassuring her.

She grins. "I love your everything, Christian. Can...can I move it?" She asks, uncertain.

I nod against the pillow. "Yes, baby. Slowly."

She smiles and her fingers find my chest hair before wandering down my chest and to my abdomen. My muscles tighten and her hand stills for a second before continuing to my my stomach. Her palm runs over my abs before her finger traces the line of hair to my groin. She grasps my hard dick and squeezes.

"I want you, Christian."

"Hop on."

Her eyes widen and she sits up to look at me. "I...are you sure?" She looks around. "In here?"

I grin. "Yes, baby. I want you to ride me."

She hums and gets on her knees. "I've never done it like this before..." She mentions, looking down at me.

"Good." I answer and pat my hips. "Climb on. I want you to ride me hard." I offer her my hands and she laces her fingers with mine and throws her leg over me.

Once she's maneuvered herself over my dick, I let go of her hand to guide myself into her as she lowers herself. We both groan as I fill her.

I take her hand again. "Start slow. It's just like the bath, baby, except I'm laying down."

She nods and does as I say. Soon, she's bouncing on top of me and I let go of her hands to grab her breasts. They're just too inviting. I start to move my hips with hers, bucking her forward, and her hands land on my chest reflexively. She pulls them back and gasps and I grin.

I release her breasts and grab her hands, placing them back on my chest. "I want you to touch me, baby. Use my chest as leverage."

She nods and I let go of her wrists, once I'm sure she won't move them. My hands find her ass and I grab onto it, moving her up and down quickly, making her scream.

"I need you to come, Anastasia." I say through clenched teeth. I'm about to blow.

She squeezes around me and forces me over the edge. She hasn't come, yet, so I reach between her legs and rub her clit roughly, forcing her to come, too.

Anastasia collapses on top of me, panting. "Wow."

I chuckle. "Definitely." I wrap her in my arms and turn us both to the side so I can cover us with the sheet.

She nuzzles into my chest and yawns.

"Sleep, Ana. When we wake, I'll ravish you again."

I can feel her smile against my chest. "I love you, Christian."

My heart leaps again at her words. "I love you, too, baby." I pull her flush against me and bury my nose into her hair, closing my eyes. All the Elena shit from earlier, lay forgotten and I drift off.


	8. Vulnerable

**A/N: Thank you all for your patience. This chapter is extremely long, extremely emotional, and extremely important. I hope that you all like it. We see a more vulnerable Christian in this one.**

"Let's get you dressed, angel." It's Sunday, mid morning and we're getting ready to head to my parents. My mother asked us to come early, so that Ana could help the girls plan the shotgun wedding for my brother and the sla-excuse me-mother of my unborn niece/nephew. I really need to stop thinking of her as the slag; I would hate to slip up and say it out loud now that she'll be in our lives forever. My mother is making us brunch and then we'll have dinner later on.

I dread dinner, because after, I know I'll have to sit down with my family and Ana and explain what happened between Elena and me. I have decided to be completely honest, in case Elena tries to expose anything after I've told them. I can handle the public finding out my business and being disappointed, but not my parents. They are already going to be so disgusted with me...if they find out that there was more than what I told them, there's a large chance that they might never speak to me again. I just can't handle that. My parents have put so much energy into me...saved me from what could have been a terrible life. My mother especially, she is my savior and it would kill me, thinking she hated me.

I'm hoping that by including my siblings in this, that it will strengthen our relationship in some way. Since high school I've been distancing myself from them and this is my way of trying. If they hate me even more for what happened, then so be it. I'll know that I've done the right thing by distancing myself.

I worry that once Anastasia knows just how dark my past is, that she'll decide to walk right out of my life. I once thought that I was incapable of love or being loved, but I can't deny that my thoughts on that have changed. My mother loves me so dearly...although I still don't understand why. My Ana loves me; there's no denying it. I can see it in her eyes when she looks up at me. The adoration is so fierce that it almost makes my chest hurt. And I love her. _God, do I love her._ I've always said love creates weak spots... and I still agree with that statement, but I would rather go my whole life with a weak spot than not having her at all. I know if she leaves me, it will end me, but I can't find the strength to put a wall up for her. I need her.

These past few weeks have been the best of my adult life. We've dealt with a lot of shit since first walking into that vacation house, but it's all worth it. Dealing with Liam, Elena, and Jack...it's a piece of cake compared to learning to live without her again. It's amazing how just a few weeks can completely change your world. To be honest...it only took a couple of days for this beautiful girl to thaw my icy heart.

We just popped the 'L' word on Friday and I don't want her to regret it once she hears how much of a monster I was. Having to admit everything I've done...it makes me sick to my stomach. She can't leave me. She just can't. I won't allow it. I have even planned to wear jeans and white tennis shoes, in case I have to chase her. _Pathetic._

"Christian? I was thinking that maybe I could dress myself for your parents." She stops me halfway to the closet.

My eyebrows furrow. _She doesn't want my care_ _anymore?_

"I've noticed you've been stressed out and quiet this morning...and I just thought that I could help a little bit by taking some of your responsibility off...I want to see if you approve of what I pick. I think I know what you like now."

My heart sinks. "Oh, um, sure baby. Go ahead. I'll wait." I try to give her a smile, but it looks more like a grimace.

Her forehead creases. "Christian...are you sure you're alright?"

I nod and exhale deeply. "Yes, baby. Go ahead and get dressed."

She gives me an uncertain nod and disappears into the closet. I sit on the edge of the bed and rub my face with my palms.

I look forward to dressing her every weekend...she always chooses her clothing on weekdays...and now she doesn't even want me doing that. I don't know if I did something wrong or if she doesn't want a caretaker anymore...both options make my stomach clench painfully. _I need to take care of her._ The thought of her not needing me makes me sick to my stomach. It won't take her long to leave if she no longer needs me.

She emerges from the closet and she has on a white dress with pink flowers and a hot pink belt; her feet are in rose pink heels with two bows across the front. She looks gorgeous.

She twirls for me. "How did I do, sir?"

I give her a small smile. "You look incredible, baby."

She beams, happy to please me. "Will you braid my hair, Christian?"

My smile widens. _She still needs me._ "Of course, Ana. Wait for me at your vanity while I get dressed."

As she passes by me, I smack her behind and I hear her hum. I hurry to dress in my jeans, white shirt, and beige linen blazer. I throw on my white tennis shoes and make my way back into the bathroom.

I catch her eye in the mirror and she smiles at me. "You look handsome, Christian. I like you in jeans."

I stand behind her and wink at her through the mirror. "All those expensive suits and you prefer $80 jeans."

I pick up the brush to run it through her hair and she giggles. "It's nice to see you dress a little more relaxed."

 _I'll have to remember that._

Once I have her hair brushed, I gather her hair and start braiding her hair to the side. When I am finished, she hands me a tie and I finish it, letting it land along her breast line.

She looks at herself in the mirror and smooths down her hair. "Thank you, sir. It's perfect."

She stands and wraps her arms around my waist, leaning up to kiss me. "You're the best DB a girl could have."

I grin. "DB?"

"Dominant boyfriend." She answers and I nod.

"Glad to hear it. I like taking care of you. It's what I want to do." I tell her honestly.

"And I want you to take care of me, Christian. It makes me feel cherished." She answers, staring up at me with her chin resting on my chest.

"You are cherished, Ana."

She grins and raises to peck my lips. "Are you ready, sir?"

I nod, rubbing her back. "As soon as we get you a cardigan." By dinner, she'll be freezing in this sleeveless dress.

XxXxXx

I allow her to pick the vehicle and she chooses the Bentley because 'it's a pretty color'. I grin at her ignorance when it comes to vehicles. There is no doubt in my mind that she has no idea how much this car costs or what brand it actually is, but if my baby wants me to drive it because it's a pretty color of silver, then that's what we'll do...no matter the cost.

I open the passenger side door of my Continental GT V8 for Anastasia and let her slip in before securing her into her belt and closing the door to slip into the driver's side.

When I turn the car on, Anastasia gasps, making me smirk.

"Beautiful sound, isn't it?" I ask her, putting it in reverse to head out.

She giggles. "I don't know much about cars, Christian, but yes...it's a lovely sound. Powerful?"

I nod. "Very."

"Powerful car for a powerful man." She murmurs, grinning out her window and pressing her legs together. I don't know if it's me or the car that has turned her on, but considering I own the car as well as what's between her legs, I don't mind it. It'll make her nice and wet for later.

The closer we make our way to Bellevue, the more my stomach churns. When I get to the bridge, I feel like I could throw up. _It's not even eleven Grey, you've got all day._ I keep sighing, trying to relieve the pressure in my chest, and Anastasia must realize my discomfort, because she reaches over and runs her fingers through the hair on the back of my neck.

"What's on your mind, baby?"

 _Baby._ She knows just how to make my mood better. I frown, now feeling guilty. She's so beautiful and innocent and kinky all at the same time...and I spent half my life as a monster.

"Christian?"

I must have been quiet too long.

"I've decided to tell my family about Elena and me."

She exhales sharply. "Oh, Christian...that's very brave. I'm proud of you."

A grin forms on my face. _My baby is proud of me._

"You'll be there, won't you?" I ask, looking over at my girl.

"I'll be wherever you need me, Christian. If it's right there holding your hand, then that's where I'll be."

"And you won't leave me?"

Her eyebrows furrow. "Of course not. I'll never leave you, Christian."

I let out a relieved sigh.

XxXxXx

"May I take your jacket, sir?" Anastasia asks when we make our way to the entryway.

I smile down at her and slip it off, handing it to her. "You're such a good girl, Anastasia." I kiss her lips and let her hang our jackets in the entryway closet.

"Christian?" My mother comes towards us with her eyebrows knitted together.

"Yes?" I ask, confused.

Anastasia closes the closet door and smiles at my mother.

"Hello, Grace!" She moves to hug her and my mother blinks a few times, before plastering a smile on her face to hug Anastasia. _I know that smile._ It isn't genuine. _Great._ It's probably because of Elena.

"Nice to see you, Mom." I tell her, kissing her cheek.

"Glad you could make it, darling. Brunch is almost done. Everyone is in the dining room."

I nod and hold out my hand. "Anastasia, come."

Her hand slips into mine and we follow my mother into the dining room to eat.

When we get there we are greeted by everyone, including male Kavanagh, and sit down to enjoy our tea while we wait for brunch.

"Ana! I'm so glad you're here! This wedding stuff is a complete mess!" Kate states, holding her hands against her cheeks.

Anastasia laughs. "Well, you two _are_ the least organized women on the planet..." She teases Kate and Mia.

"So, I was thinking...for the bachelorette party..." _She's still going to have one of those?_ "we need to do it fast, before this baby makes itself known and I start looking like a balloon. I was thinking this Friday night would be a great time and then we'll still have a few weeks to plan the rest of this wedding! Plenty of time to still have a bridal shower!" At least I know she can't have too wild of a night for her party...she's pregnant.

Anastasia eyes are popping out of her head. "Bridal shower? Bachelorette? But Kate-you're getting married in a month!"

Kate waves her off. "It'll be fine! Let me plan the bachelorette party and you and Mia can plan the bridal shower."

Anastasia blinks and looks over at Mia, who is nodding feverishly in agreement. She points her finger at Mia. "YOU better put in your half of the work, Mia Trevelyan Grey!"

Mia smiles. "Of course."

"No pink, Mia. I mean it!" Kate adds and I see Mia's smile turn into a frown.

Anastasia sighs and leans back in her chair, taking my hand. "This is going to be a disaster." She murmurs, making me laugh. I enjoy watching her interact with he friends. She's so different with them than she is with me. I smile at the thought. Only I get her submission.

XxXxXx

After brunch, I sit and watch TV with the men while the girls cluck about the wedding in the sunroom. I chose the leather chair facing the sunroom so I can keep an eye on my girl. I can't keep a smile off my face as I watch her with the girls. She is talking animatedly, using her hands to describe whatever she's talking about and nodding excitedly. She writes and draws furiously on a pad of paper and looks like she's having the time of her life. I pull my phone out and begin taking pictures of her while she interacts with the girls.

Throughout the next couple of hours, I randomly take pictures of her. I love how expressive she can be. So far I've caught her happy, excited, pensive, mortified, and frustrated. I start to take another and catch her in mid-yawn. _She's tired._

I slip my phone back in my pocket and head towards the sunroom, where I catch her yawning again. They look up when they hear me coming and I make the time-out signal with my hands.

"You've exhausted my girl, she needs a nap. You can pick this up later."

Kate nods. "We've been at this for awhile now. I think it's time for a break. My back is killing me."

I hold my hand out for her to take and she makes her way around the glass table and takes my hand. "We're going to take a nap in the study, Mom."

My mother's eyebrows knit together. "Before you go, may I have a minute to speak to you, Christian?"

I give a nod. "Uh, sure. Anastasia...I'll meet you in the study."

She nods. "Yes, Christian." She leans up and places a kiss on my lips before departing.

"Let's go into the dining room." My mother tells me, so that we're not overheard.

"After you." I tell her.

Once we're in the dining room, I have a seat and she sits across from me, chewing her lip. I'm getting nervous, because I really don't want her to bring up the Elena thing now.

"What is it mother?" _Spit it out already!_

She folds her hands on the table and sighs. "I've...well, I've been watching the way you and Ana interact and it's been worrying me. I overheard you two speaking in the entryway today and I just thought I should speak to you..."

 _What. The. Fuck._ "What do you mean? About what?"

"You just seem so...controlling? for lack of a better term. It's like I'm watching a relationship from the fifties happening right before my eyes and I worry that you might be stifling Ana. She adores you so dearly and I worry she won't speak up...in worry that it might upset you."

I feel like a bomb's been dropped right in my lap and I can actually feel the back of my neck sweating. This is _not_ going to mix well with what I need to speak with them about later.

I take a deep breath and center myself. "Mom, I assure you that Anastasia is happy. This... _type_ of relationship is what she wants. I promise you that I would take Anastasia any way that I can get her, because I love her...but she wants me to be the...er...more _dominant_ one in the relationship. She likes being cared for...and I like taking care of her."

My mother mulls it over in her head and chews her lip. "Okay, Christian. If you are sure."

I sigh. "I promise you that Anastasia has a voice in our relationship. This is what she wants. If it'll make you feel better, you are more than welcome to sit down with her to speak about it."

She shakes her head. "No, no...I'm sorry for intruding. I was just worried...you have such a strong personality, Christian...I wanted to make sure that Ana was all right and that you were aware that she might feel...forced to be subservient since you do have such a strong air about you."

My forehead creases. "I would never want to stifle her personality, Mom. She just got out of an abusive relationship...I would never want to hurt her. My top priority is to keep her safe and happy."

Mom gives me a small smile. "You really do love her?"

I chuckle and nod. "Yes, Mom. More than I ever thought possible."

Her smile widens and she jumps up and I stand, as well. She backs up to me, but I grab her arms and turn her around.

"Arms around my waist." I tell her and pull her to me.

She gasps and squeezes me tight around my hips, her face against my chest, and I hear her start to sob.

"Mom?" I hold her against me. "Is everything alright?"

She sniffles and turns her head. "Everything is just perfect, darling. I'm sorry if I was being too hard on you."

I chuckle. "No, Mom. I'm glad you worry for Anastasia. Her parents are across the country and she need a mother figure." I actually like that she's grilling me like I'm some kid who wants to take Anastasia out. She deserves only the best and I understand why my mother was worried.

She pulls her head back and I release her. "Oh, no. I've smudged your white shirt."

I look down and see black and beige on my shirt. "It's alright...I think I'll live."

She sniffles and laughs. "Take it off, I'll get it out for you while you sleep."

"Mom..."

"Come on, do as I say."

I chuckle and shake my head, pulling my shirt off. I feel like I'm six again, being chastised.

She laughs and holds the shirt to her. "I remember when you were little, you couldn't stand being dirty. If there was a speck of dirt on your clothes, you had to change...and God forbid...if there was any on you, you had to have a bath right then and there." She frowns. "I guess if I were dirty for four years, I'd want to feel clean, too..." Her chin quivers.

"Oh, Mom." I pull her against me again and hug her. "That was twenty-five years ago. You've spoiled me from the second you saw me in that medical room. It's okay now."

She starts to cry against me again and I just hold her, not sure what to do.

"You were so tiny, Christian..and so dirty and scared of everything and everyone. My heart broke for you and fell in love with you all within a second of seeing you."

I chuckle and rub her back. "Everything is okay, now. You saved me."

She laughs through her sobs. "That's very sweet, Christian." She releases me again and wipes at her eyes, laughing. "I'm a complete basket case, aren't I?" She looks at my chest and sniffles. "Oh, now I've got you all dirty."

She lifts her hand to wipe my chest off with my shirt, but I grab her wrist before it touches me.

"I'll do it."

She pulls her hand back quickly. "Oh, Christian...I'm sorry." She shakes her head. "I don't know what I was thinking..."

I take the shirt from her and grin. "It's alright." I wipe off my chest and hand it back to her.

"You go take your nap and I'll get your shirt washed."

"Thanks, Mom." I lean down and kiss her cheek before heading into the study to find Anastasia.

On my way, my chest begins to constrict. How am I supposed to tell them about Elena now? I'm such a fucking disappointment...a disgrace to this family. _Fuck._ I have to be honest. I _have_ to. No matter how much it hurts to tell them or how they'll hate me...my mother deserves to know about Elena. Elena has controlled their relationship long enough.

 _Fuck._ Elena is controlling their relationship and my mother doesn't even realize...Am I no better than that vindictive, manipulative bitch? My mother said I was controlling my relationship with Anastasia. _Would she want this if I weren't a dom?_ _What if she'd be happier in a regular relationship?_

I find Anastasia in the study, looking out of the window at the water. She turns and smiles at me when she hears me shut the door. Her smile drops when she sees my face.

"Christian?"

I sigh. "Let's just lie down, Ana."

She nods. "Where is your shirt?"

I small smile forms on my face. "My mother soiled it with her makeup, so she forced me to take it off so she could wash it."

Anastasia beams. "So you hugged her?"

I nod and she hurries over to me with a squeal. "Oh, Christian! That's wonderful!" Her arms wrap around my waist and she squeezes me, making me laugh.

"Let's take a nap, baby. Have a seat. I'll remove your shoes."

After I've removed them, she stands and I place a pillow at the end of the couch and lie down, opening my arms to her. She grins and plops down right on top of me.

"Oof." A puff of air is forced out of my lungs and she smiles shyly up at me.

"Sorry, sir."

"It's okay, Ana." I pull the blanket off the back of the couch and throw it over us while she shimmies, trying to get comfortable. After about a minute, she finally stops.

"Settled?"

"Yes."

I shake my head and wrap my arms around her. It's quiet for a few minutes, but then I hear her sigh.

"Christian?"

"Yes, baby."

"I can't sleep, knowing you're upset. Please talk to me. You can trust me."

"I know I can, Ana."

"What did your mother say? Was is about Mrs. Lincoln?"

"No...it was about us."

"Us? As in you and me?"

"Yes. She was worried that I was too controlling...that I was forcing you into submission by having a strong personality." I frown at the thought.

"You know that isn't true, Christian. I like you being dominant; it's sexy...and I like submitting to you. You know this."

I sigh. "Yes, you've said...but I wonder if you didn't know I was a dom, if you would have been happy with a normal relationship."

"No, I wouldn't have. You being so dominant is what attracted me to you. You could get me to submit to you with just one look...God, I wanted you so badly."

I grin. "I wanted you too, Ana. I tried to push my feelings for you away...but obviously, I failed."

She giggles. "I'm glad you failed. You are so sexy, Christian. That hard look you give, gets me soaked. I could never want a normal relationship when I have you. I don't even really know what a 'normal' relationship really entails. I've told you that I tried to like 'normal' boys, but they're boring. Why would I want ordinary, when I could have extraordinary with you?"

I smile. "I guess so. Sometimes I think things would be better if I was just normal like my siblings. Things would be so different with them and my parents if I wasn't so fucked up."

"Christian...I love that you feel comfortable enough to talk about this with me. It hurts my heart to hear you talk like this. I remember that comment you made our first ride to Escala...about how you're above everyone. I know you try to act like you're superior...but I think that's all it is...an act. For some reason you believe you're inferior to the people you love the most and so you try to overcompensate. You don't have to try so hard to prove to them that you're worthy, Christian. They love you...and they are far from normal, themselves." She giggles a little at this.

"Everyone is different. God doesn't make us from cookie cutters. You are an incredible man, Christian. You love hard...but you just don't see it. You're so scared that they'll turn their backs on you, that you've become cold towards them. It's made Mia bitter towards you, because she doesn't understand why her brother who coddled her as a baby, doesn't want to deal with her anymore...and it makes your brother try extra hard and ends up making himself look like an ass, trying to be funny. Even though you tried to keep them at a distance, you've spoiled them. You are constantly giving them money and gifts, buying them the safest vehicles, the best alarm systems...just to make sure they're safe and secure and want for nothing. This was the only way you've loved...but it doesn't have to be that way anymore. They love you unconditionally. You don't have to distance yourself anymore. I know it can be frightening to lose someone you love so dearly, but putting distance between you won't help...it'll just leave you with a lifetime full of regret if something happens to one of them. I'm here now, and I promise that I'll help make it easier...for both sides. And I promise you, that I love you unconditionally, too. I am not going anywhere...unless you want me to. You are perfect for me and I don't want you to ever doubt it again. You are everything I have ever wanted...everything I could have ever hoped for. I need this...I need you." She finishes and I can't deny that she's right. I still don't see how someone so perfect needs something so...dark.

"But why? Why do you need this? I'm fucked up...but you're so...beautiful and kind, sweet and innocent. Your soul is anything, but dark."

"It doesn't have to come from a dark place, Christian. The way you were introduced...really, it was the worst way possible. Mine wasn't like that. I was brought up in a loving household and my father was strict, but loving. He came from the military, so everything was very structured. When they left while I was in college...I didn't know which way was up, even though I was already living on my own at the time.

"Suddenly, I didn't have to report to anyone...I was free...or I thought I was. I started to drink...even though I was underage, I would stay up all night, and eat junk food until I made myself sick. I went from being on the Dean's list to almost failing and I gained probably twenty pounds from all the junk I was putting into my body. Nev was my horticulture teacher and he noticed the change in me. After class one day, he asked me to stay and asked what was going on. I kind of broke down right there and spilled everything to him. He told me he could give me structure, if I wanted it and explained what went into it. He slowly introduced me to it, giving me a schedule and forcing me to stick to it, or I'd be punished.

"The sexual part didn't come into play until about six months in. He knew I was a virgin and didn't want to push me. To be honest, I think he would have kept that part off the table if I had asked him. Anyway, a year and a half after we started our arrangement, he left and then I got Liam...and you already know that disaster. But then here you come along...a perfect fit for me. You were strong willed and dominant, sexy, and mysterious. I was smitten before you even touched me. You brought affection and aftercare into the relationship...and I didn't even know I needed it until I got it. Now, I can't even imagine not having the affection. I could never go back to a relationship like I had with Nev...even though he was great. You've ruined me for other men. All I want is you."

 _Good._

"I want you, Ana." My voice is rough. I more than want her. _I need her._ I slide my hand down to her ass and squeeze it. "Let me have you."

Her eyes widen and she looks around. "Here?"

"Are you questioning me, Miss Steele?"

"No, sir." She shakes her head and I turn us sideways so that she's trapped between the back of the couch and me.

"Are you my good girl, Anastasia?" I ask while I undo my jeans and pull out my dick.

She moans. "Yes, sir. I am your good girl." She whispers.

"Is my good girl wet?"

She nods. "Yes, sir. So wet."

I shimmy her dress up enough to get to her and pull her leg over my hip as I slip my finger into her underwear and into her. _She's soaked._ Fuck...even her panties are soaked. I slip my finger out of her and push her panties to the side so I can replace my finger with my dick. I leave it at her opening and eye her.

"You must keep quiet, Anastasia."

She nods. "I will, sir. Please..." She uses her leg to try to push me into her and I smile.

"I'll decide when I fuck you, Anastasia." I tell her, teasing her.

Her lips begin to pout and I slip into her, nipping at her pouted bottom lip before I suck on it lightly. When I release her lip, she's panting.

"I need you deeper, Christian."

I pull her leg up higher and pivot her so that I slip into her heat even more.

"Mmm, yes..."

"Shhh...My girl has to be good or we have to stop."

Her mouth closes quickly and she sucks her lips in, trying to stay quiet.

I keep my pace slow and steady until we both hit our release and when she does, I cover her mouth with my hand, knowing how loud she can be. She is a good girl though and only whimpers quietly.

XxXxXx

I wake before Anastasia and check my watch. It's almost five o'clock. Dinner is in thirty minutes. I'll allow her twenty more minutes before I wake her. My girl must have been tired, because she's been sleeping for almost two hours. I turn my head and watch the sun dance off the the water. I love this house. I love being so close to the water. Anastasia seems to enjoy it, too. I'd love to spend some time with her out on the patio, in front of the water. _Maybe we should get a house on the Sound._

My eyes widen. _Hmm._ Maybe we should. If she's still with me after what I have to say tonight, then I'll have my realtor look.

Anastasia starts to stir and I rub her back. "Good morning, sunshine."

"Hrmph." I hear her say as she buries her nose into my neck.

"Still tired?"

"Mmhmm."

I look at my watch and see that she has fifteen minutes left to sleep. "Would you like fifteen more minutes?"

"Yes, please." She says, muffled.

"Okay, baby. Fifteen more minutes. I'll hold you." I wrap my arms around her and let my mind wander to how life on the Sound could be for us.

XxXxXx

As dinner comes to a close, my anxiety is at an all time high.

I clear my throat to try and relieve the feeling of being suffocated and unintentionally get everyone's attention. _Fuck._

"There is something I need to say." I announce. _How the fuck do I explain this?_

"Oh?" My mother asks, her eyes moving back and forth between Ana and me. "What is it, sweetheart?"

"Not here. Can we move into the sitting room?"

She nods. "Yes, of course. Let's take our drinks to the sitting room."

"I'm going to grab another bourbon." Dad states, standing.

"Get me a double?" I ask and his eyes widen. I never ask for the hard stuff at my parents, but right now, I need some liquid courage.

"Coming right up, son." He disappears to the wet bar and everyone stands to make their way into the sitting room to get comfortable. I feel a hand in mine and look to see Anastasia giving me a reassuring smile.

She squeezes my hand lightly. "Love you." She says quietly, trying to help calm me.

I squeeze her hand. "You too, baby."

Kate, Elliot, and Mia are sitting on the couch with Male Kavanagh sitting on the floor in front of her- _F_ _uck! Why is he still here?-_ and my parents on the love seat. The only two places left are the two leather chairs with a table in the middle. I can't have her so far away. I hold her hand tightly and sit down, pulling her into my lap.

"Stay." I tell her and she nods, while getting comfortable.

"Your drink is on the table, Christian." My father tells me, nodding to the small table to my right.

"Thanks." I take a deep swig from it and wince a little. I forgot how much it burns.

"Christian, you are worrying me. Please tell us what's going on." My mother sits at the edge of her seat, wringing her hands.

I look around the room and try to forget the fact that Ethan is here. I know that Mia will end up telling him anyway, so there's no point of making him leave.

I take a deep breath and tighten my arm around Anastasia while the other hand tightens around my glass tumbler.

"It's about Elena. About our relationship."

"You're work relationship?" My mother asks, wrinkling her nose in confusion.

"No...although, it's the reason why I'm ending that one, too."

"Too?"

I sigh and take another drink. _I can't do this._

Anastasia turns in our seat and puts her arm around my neck, resting it on my shoulders. "It's okay, Christian. Take it at your own pace. We'll wait."

I nod and take another drink. I place the glass tumbler back on the table and grip Anastasia's thigh for support.

 _How do I start this?_ "I'm sure you remember how angry I was when I was a teenager..."

"Yes, darling. When we sent you to work for Elena, you got better." My mother answers.

I nod. "There's a reason for that...and it isn't what you think."

Her eyebrows knit together. "What is it?"

"Elena and I had an affair."

The room erupts in shouting, but I can't see anyone's reactions because my eyes are squeezed shut.

"Christian...Christian!" My mother yells over all the other voices and I slowly open my eyes to look at her. Her eyes are swimming with tears, causing mine to do the same. She makes to stand, but then thinks better of it and sits back down. "I..." she shakes her head and clutches at her heart. "When did this start?"

"The first day I went over there." My voice is trembling and I wince at how vulnerable it makes me sound. The motion causes my tears to fall and Anastasia quickly wipes them away. Her warm thumbs on my cheek are reassuring.

My mother begins to sob into her hands and my father puts an arm around her, trying to console her. He hasn't said a word so far and his body is tense. I can see the muscles in his jaw clenching and I'm sure he's disgusted with me.

"This is all my fault!" My mother cries. My stomach twists.

"No! It is not your fault!" I practically scream. She's hiding in my father's chest, sobbing.

I tap Anastasia's leg and she stands, allowing me up. I kneel at my mother's legs and grasp her hands.

"Look at me." I demand.

She turns her head and sniffles, so that I can see her. She has raccoon eyes from crying, but I don't care. She's still the beautiful guardian angel that saved me. My saving Grace- my mother. She grips my hands and sits up.

"You are not at fault. She is your best friend. You trusted her."

She shakes her head, letting out another sob.

"No, don't you do that. It was not your fault. Say it. Say it isn't your fault."

She shakes her head again. "I-I can't. Oh, Christian..."

"Please! Please. I've got more to say and I can't, if I know you are blaming yourself. Please, Mom." My cheek rests against her thighs and I wrap my arms under her legs, hugging them. I'm a monster for putting my mother through this pain. I can feel the darkness starting to engulf me and it feels like a vise is slowly gripping my chest and it's going to crush me. I can just picture my ribs splintering under the pressure.

Just when I feel like I'm going to lose control, I feel fingers in my hair. My mother is stroking my hair just like she use to do when I was little and it instantly calms me.

"My baby boy."

"It isn't your fault, Mom." The statement sounds more like a plea, begging my mother to believe me. I straighten up until we're eye to eye.

"Fifteen?" She's breathless.

"I'm sorry, Mom."

She shakes her head and places her hand on my cheek. "It isn't your fault, Christian. You were a child. Why didn't you tell us?"

I let out an airy laugh and shake my head. _Why does she think?_ "I was a fifteen year old boy." I shrug.

She winces a little at the thought of why I didn't tell her. "But you're twenty-nine now. All those years..." Her eyes widen. "How long?"

I sigh and rise up on my feet before standing. I can't be close to her when I admit the rest of this. I turn to go back to my seat, where Ana is sitting and she rises to allow me to sit. I pull her back into my lap and try to keep my eyes off the others. My eyes do wander to my father and I see him in tears too. I don't think I've ever seen him cry. _I am a terrible son._

"Christian." My mother gets my attention again and I realize I haven't answered her.

"Twenty-one."

"I'll kill her. I'll-I'll kill her, Christian." My mother murmurs, clenching her her hands into fists. _She's angry._ I can deal with anger. Anger is better.

"Why? Why didn't you tell us? Why did you go into business with her? You called her your friend!" My mother is now up and pacing.

"I thought she helped me. I was doing better in school, got into Harvard, and started my company. It wasn't until the last year that I started to realize how controlling and manipulative she was. Then this past month..." I look at Anastasia. "I've realized just how terrible she really is."

"And that's why you tried to cut ties with her..." My mother adds. "And here I am trying to convince you to gift her the company..." She turns towards me with wide eyes. "Please tell me you didn't! Oh, Christian! I'm sorry!"

I put my hand out to stop her and shake my head. "No, I came up with something better than just selling the company. She's signed a contract stating she's willing to pay me sixty percent of the company's worth. She mentioned that she was just going to ask you for part of the money and that's when I knew I needed to tell you."

"Let her fucking drown in her debt." My father growls out. "She deserves nothing. Now I know why Linc did what he did. I want to do the same."

I can't help the grin that forms on my face.

"What else is there?" My mother asks, sitting back down. "You said there's more. What is it?"

My grin falls and I grip Anastasia tighter. She leans in and presses her forehead against my temple.

"It's okay. You're doing so well. You are so brave, Christian. We're here to support you. You can do this." She says quietly.

My sister slides down from the couch and crawls to us, sitting on the floor close to us. She wraps an arm around my calf and leans her head against my knee. "Ana's right, Christian. We're here to support you."

Tears form in my eyes again and I clear my throat to keep from letting out a sob. My hand finds Mia's head and I smooth her hair while I keep my other arm tightly around my girl. I finally have the courage to look around the room. Kate is crying, my brother is sitting on the edge of his seat with his hands over his mouth and Ethan is sitting on the floor staring at the ground. They all look so somber. It's like a fucking funeral.

"When I was a teenager, I was a rageful, hormonal teenager who couldn't stand to be touched with no source of release. I found very little relief when I would fight, but it wasn't much and before long, my rage would get so out of control that I would find an excuse to fight again. It's terrible, but inflicting pain and receiving pain was my only relief. Elena knew this and so, she introduced me to something called BDSM."

"Shit." My brother swears under his breath.

My mother is confused and she looks at my brother for clarification. "What is it?"

"Christian...you're serious?" Elliot asks and I nod. "Like binding, whipping, gagging, beating..?" I nod again. "All of it?" I nod.

"What is he talking about Christian?!" Mom turns back to me with wide eyes.

"In BDSM, there is a submissive and a dominant. The submissive does whatever the dominant asks. The submissive gets rewards for good things and punishments for bad."

"And you were...?"

"...The submissive." I finish for my mother.

"And she tied you up and beat you? Hurt you? What else did she do to you?"

I shake my head. "I don't think going into those details will do any good, Mother."

She rubs her face and lets out a sob. "So why did it end?"

I chew on my lip for a second. "When I was twenty, I decided I wanted to be a dominant...so she spent a year training me to be one."

"Fuck." My brother curses again.

My mother stands and starts to pace again. "You...you...my baby boy...you beat women?"

I sigh. "I had a contract that laid out everything that I liked and disliked and the guidelines that the women were to stick to. The women I was with agreed to this lifestyle. They were all established submissives before they were mine." I feel Anastasia stiffen and I kiss her temple. I know it's hard for her to hear me call other women mine. "But, yes. I did hit them...but for punishments it was only on their backside."

My mother's face is scrunched. "You say for punishments it was only on their backside...these women...they wanted to be hit with things for _pleasure?_ They actually got off on the pain?"

I take another shaky breath and nod. "It's a kind of kink."

My mother stops and turns towards me with wide eyes. "Ana. Ana! Ana, do you do this?"

Anastasia's breath catches in her throat. _Fuck!_ I hadn't even thought about this. "Mother, Anastasia is not under my contract. She's my girlfriend...my first."

My mother sits again, but she's antsy. She doesn't know what to do.

"It's hard to explain, Mom. I know it sounds bad...and maybe it is...but please believe me when I say that I would never hold a woman against her will or force her to do anything that she is against. There are rules...safewords...that keep them safe and me under control. It was the only way I knew how to satisfy my... _needs..._ while having my touch issue."

My father is watching Anastasia and I know he's looking for reactions. _Fuck._ If he even has an inkling that she's been a submissive, he'll go straight to Mr. Steele.

My mother stands once again and rubs her hands on her pants. "Okay...okay..." She whispers to herself, trying to calm herself down. "Is this all of it?"

"Unfortunately, no."

Her chin trembles and she drops back down in her seat. "What else could there be?"

 _The worst part._

I cling to Anastasia, worried she's going to run. "Ana...you can't run. Please tell me you won't run."

She shakes her head. "I'm here, Christian."

I take a deep breath and nod. "I've been seeing Dr. Flynn as you all know and we've figured out why I did it."

"And?" My father asks, anxious.

"I have a particular type. Pale skin...dark hair."

"Okay?" My mother's anxious too.

 _Just drop the bomb, Grey._ "I beat and fuck little brown-headed girls because they remind me of the crack whore who allowed herself to be dominated by her pimp and who let him beat me."

Anastasia whimpers beside me and everyone looks shocked. Their mouths are open; their eyes are wide and disbelieving.

I force Anastasia to look at me. "You have got to believe me when I say that not once have I thought about her when I look at you. You do not remind me of her at all. You are innocent, you are good. You are an angel and everything I could ever want. The only similarity is your hair color. Nothing else."

She is looking at me with big, watery eyes and her whole body is shuddering with each breath she takes. Her eyebrows knit together as she contemplates what I've said.

"A sadist." She whispers and my eyes widen. She's putting me in the same group as Liam.

I shake my head. "I would never hurt you, Ana."

"No?" She asks, needing more reassurance.

I shake my head and press my forehead up against hers. "Never. I love you, Ana. Only you. You are everything I've always needed, but never realized until now. I want you happy, healthy, and safe. I'll keep you safe."

She doesn't pull away from me, but her gaze drops and she chews her lip. _She doesn't trust me._

"Ana...I swear..." I sigh. I don't know what do, what to think. I can't do this without her.

She pulls her forehead off mine and sits up, chewing her lip. She plays with her thumbnails just for a moment before standing. _Fuck. Fuck-fuck-fuck._

"Why didn't you tell me?" She asks quietly, turning toward me.

My mouth opens to answer, but my mother answers. "Ana, dear...he didn't tell anyone."

Her answer makes me angry. She doesn't understand that it's different...that Ana and I are different. I should have told Anastasia. I shouldn't have waited until we had an audience.

"Right." Anastasia nods and looks at the ground. She feels betrayed. I can see it in her body language. She starts moving across the room and I panic.

"Ana!" I jump up, but she puts her hands up.

"I'm just going to use the restroom."

I stop, but stay standing as I watch her disappear down the hall.

"Christian..."

"Just...just give me a minute." I tell my mother and go after Ana. I'm too panicked. I need to know she isn't going to slip out.

When I make it to the bathroom, the door is closed, but light is streaming into the dark hallway by the crack in the bottom of the door. I stand silently, listening for movement.

A sniffle and then a sob.

My fingers grip my hair and I pull and pace.

"Fuck it." I check the doorknob and it turns and I push it open.

Anastasia is sitting in the floor of the corner of the bathroom, her kneels against her chest and she's sobbing into her pink dress. When she hears me, her head snaps up, startled. I put both of my hands up, showing that I come in peace, and then shut the door behind me.

She watches me while I slowly make my way over to her. I'm worried that if I move any quicker, it'll scare her and make her run. She's like a deer in the headlights.

I sit next to her and stretch my legs out in front of me, showing her that I have no intention of going anywhere. I look at her and she's got her head turned towards me, resting the side against her knees, while she stares. _At least she isn't crying._

"I'm sorry."

Her forehead creases in confusion, so I continue. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you the truth before now. I was so scared to lose you, Ana. You are my lifeline." She looks so bothered-disgusted even-and I deserve it. I'm a monster-a demon. I deserve to be miserable, but I can't let her go. I'm too selfish. _I'm going to burn in hell._

"I look like her." She says, but I'm not sure if she's actually talking to me. "I look like all of them."

 _No._ "No, baby. No. You're special. No woman could ever be as beautiful as you are to me."

I turn my body towards her and her eyes follow me. "So, you think that my pale skin and dark hair is just a coincidence?" She knows it's not.

"No, Ana. I _do_ like brunettes. And I love your skin. Not just because it's pale, but it's soft and smooth and flawless. It's like porcelain. It's absolutely beautiful."

"And you like making it pink."

"I do."

She frowns.

"Ana...it has nothing to do with my mother. I've already said that I don't think of her when I see you. I just see you. I thought you liked it when I made it pink?"

"I do."

I cock my head to the side. "If it makes you uncomfortable, I won't do it anymore. Going forward, if all you want is vanilla...then that's what we'll have. I'll take you any way I can get you, Anastasia, because I love you. Only you. You know this."

She sighs and shakes her head. "I don't want vanilla. I meant what I said this afternoon. What we have is extraordinary. It's just...unsettling, your admission. I don't want you to look at me and see pain or abandonment." She reaches over and takes my hand in hers and I hold hers tight.

"No, baby. When I look at you, I feel warm...giddy even." She smiles at this. "I feel affection and love and adoration. Nothing negative."

She turns towards me and uncurls herself from her knees, letting them touch the floor.

"I love you, Ana. You're it for me. I feel like I can't breath without you."

"Oh, Christian." Her hands cup my face and slowly, she pulls me closer until our lips touch.

"Please don't leave me." I _need_ her. Always.

She gives me a soft smile. "Never."

I breathe a sigh of relief and wrap my arms around her, pulling her closer.

"I love you, Christian. I'm sorry I didn't take it better. I know tonight is hard for you...and I'm just making it worse."

"No, baby. Don't be sorry. You needed time to absorb the information and I think we both needed some time away from there. Thank you for not running."

She looks up at me and shakes her head. "Running doesn't do anyone any good. You need support. Abandonment is what got you here in the first place. I don't want to cause you anymore heartache than you've already suffered."

I smile and kiss her nose. This girl is incredible. I'm never going to let her go.

"I think it's time to confront the others." She mentions.

"I think you're right." I sigh and move to stand, rolling my shoulders to relieve some of the tension on my way. I help Anastasia up and clean her face before we make our way back into the sitting room.

Everyone is silent and unmoving when we return. My mother jumps up and comes towards me, taking my hand.

"Is everything alright, darling?"

I nod. "Ana and I are fine."

She smiles. "Good." She hugs me and I welcome it, holding her tightly against me.

"You don't hate me?" _I'm surprised._

"Heavens, no, sweetheart. I don't hate you, neither do I blame you. Elena, however..." She trails off and sighs. "Here I thought we saved you...only to offer you up on a silver platter to another abuser. You seemed so happy, I thought..." she shakes her head and squeezes me tighter, "it doesn't matter what I thought. I was wrong and I'll never forgive myself for sending you there."

"Mom, please don't blame yourself." I say again. "I don't blame you and you shouldn't, either."

"I'll kill that bitch, Christian. I swear it." We're back to anger. "We've lost so many years with you because of her. She controlled you for so many years and distanced you from the family."

"I'm here now."

"Thank God." She answers, making me smile. I duck down and kiss the top of her head.

My father stands and then shoves his hands in his pockets, not knowing what to do. _I know what he wants._

I let go of my mother and walk over to him. "Dad?"

He shakes his head. "I'm sorry, son."

I pull him in for a hug, but it's a short one because he touches my back and panic surges through me. The hug causes everyone to stand.

"Thank you for telling us, Christian. I can't imagine how hard it was to admit." My father states.

"I couldn't let Elena manipulate Mom anymore." I answer truthfully.

"Christian." It's Elliot. I turn towards him and he tries to give me an encouraging smile. "I'm sorry I didn't see it. I noticed the change and thought it was weird, but I was in college and..." he shakes his head. "Nothing should have been more important than my brother's well being."

I laugh, making him frown. "I'm sorry, Elliot, but you sound crazy. It isn't your fault. You were in college. You were busy and enjoying yourself. There is no reason why you should feel guilty. Even if you had tried to talk to me, I wouldn't have told you."

He clasps me on the shoulder. "Life just gets better from here, brother."

I nod, feeling free for the first time in my life.

I hear sobbing and I look down to see my sister standing there, crying into her hands. I pull her to me for a hug.

"Arms on my waist."

She squeezes me hard enough for me to wince and sobs into my chest.

"Shh...it's okay. Calm down, Mi." I rub her back up and down, trying to soothe her.

"I love you, Christian." She croaks out between sobs.

"I love you, too, Mia."

After another thirty minutes of questions and my mother and Mia both coming back for hug after hug, I'm ready to leave. I'm exhausted in every way possible, but it's freeing. I just want to fall into bed, cling to my Ana, and fall asleep. Tomorrow is going to be a long day; I have to go to SIP and kick the fucker out of his office and introduce myself to everyone. Ros has decided to come with, having already mapped out the first meeting with the employees. Most of the employees will keep their jobs; Jack, Candice, and a young kid by the name of Jackson who failed his drug test at his prior job are going to be canned. Hopefully, I won't have to fire anyone else while I'm there.

I call Taylor and ask him to come get us. I knew I was going to end up drinking and asked him to be available. I'll have him send Sawyer after the car tomorrow. He and Sawyer will be here to introduce my family to their CPO's.

XxXxXx

Anastasia and I are in bed and I'm wrapped around her, my head on her chest, my arms around her, and my leg thrown over her own. We didn't have sex like we normally do, but I think we're both too exhausted to care. I just need the closeness with her right now. One of her hands is in my hair, while the other is resting on my bicep.

"Touch my back, Ana." I command. I need to feel her.

Her hand rises of my bicep and rests lightly between my shoulder blades. I welcome the warm tingle with a hum. Her fingers continue to run through my hair over and over, lulling me to sleep. I lift my head for a second, trying to fight it just a little longer; I want to spend a little more time with her.

When I lower my head back down, she starts to move the hand that's against my shoulder blades in light, slow circles. I feel her press her lips against my head before continuing to massage my scalp.

"Stop fighting it, Christian. Sleep. Everything is okay now." Her voice is soft and sweet and I feel myself relax against her, doing just that.


	9. Bye Bye Jack

**A/N: I really need to express just how important my friend, Sanjana, is to this story. She spends hours with me going over ideas and directions for this story. SanjanaSandeep232 really deserves a shout out for everything she does to keep me writing!**

 **I want to thank all of you for your incredible reviews on my last chapter. I am so glad you all loved that chapter so much. I hope the story continues to meet your expectations, although, it's going to be hard to beat the intensity of last chapter. This one is a little shorter, but it needed to be written before I hopped forward to the weekend activities with the Grey/Steele/Kavanagh clan.**

We're on our way to SIP with Taylor and Sawyer. Anastasia has been a nervous wreck all morning; so much so that she allowed me to choose her outfit and dress her, but I think the act put everything into perspective and calmed both of us. It reminded both of us that I was in control and that we would both be fine. The closer we get to SIP, the tighter Anastasia clings to my hand.

I want to kill the fucker who has affected her so deeply. She's terrified of the situation and a part of me wants to tell her to stay in the vehicle until we get him out of the building, but the other half of me knows that having her so far away will make me feel out of control. Taylor has already spoken to the security at SIP and I will have Anastasia stowed away in another room while Taylor, Sawyer, and I have a talk with the Hyde fucker. Anastasia will stay in the other room with SIP security until we have removed him from the building and secure it.

Taylor pulls around the back of SIP, so that we are not seen, and parks close to the building. He and Sawyer jump out and Sawyer opens Anastasia's side of the door. Taylor opens the opposite side for me, but I slide out after Anastasia, who won't let go of my hand. I stop her on the way in and rub her arms up and down.

"You are safe, Anastasia. None of us are going to let anything happen to you. No one is going to blame you for him leaving. No one is going to even know what happened between you and him, okay?" I know her reputation is important to her and I don't want her to be miserable at work. If anyone ever says one thing to her about Hyde, I'll fire them.

She nods.

"Good. Now, you're going to sit in Elizabeth's office with security while I speak with Hyde."

Her eyes widen, but stays quiet and nods again.

I make eye contact with Sawyer and give a nod, indicating that I am ready to head in. I put my arm around Anastasia and we follow our security in and straight to Elizabeth's office. A few people stare on our way through, no doubt wondering what the fuck is going on, but they'll find out soon enough.

When we enter Elizabeth's office, two men in uniform are standing, waiting for us. One is a middle-aged, fat, bald man with dark beady eyes and the other is a tall, dirty blonde fucker with sludgy green eyes. He's probably in his thirties and he's a good looking fucker. _Just fucking great._

Anastasia says her hello to them both and the young fucker, gives her a smile that makes me cringe. _She's mine._

"Anastasia? Why don't you introduce us?" I try to ask nicely, but it comes out more like a growl.

She smiles at me. "Sure! Mr. Grey, this is Maurice Avery and Jesse Ward. Reese...Jess...this is Mr. Grey."

 _So she's on first name basis with the fucker._

I stand up straight, immediately going into dom stance and shake his hand. He stands tall and confident, shaking my hand as firmly as I shake his and it pisses me off. _I need a reason to fire this cocky asshole._

I shake the other's hand quickly and turn back to Anastasia, holding her chin between my index finger and thumb. "Stay here." I lean down and peck her lips. "We won't be long."

She smiles and nods. "Yes, sir."

I kiss her lips once more and release her chin. I look at her for another second and know I won't be able to concentrate with Hyde while she's in here with this Ward fucker.

I straighten up and clear my throat. "Change of plans. Avery, you'll stay here with Miss Steele. Ward, you'll stand guard outside the door, so that there are eyes on the hall."

Ward nods. "Yes, sir."

He follows us out and shuts the door behind him, crossing his arms so that his body is covering the door. _Fuck._ I want to hate the fucker...have a reason to fire him...but he takes orders well. _I'll have to keep trying._

When we make our way down the hall, I see that Hyde's door is shut. Taylor opens the door without knocking and I follow, Sawyer trailing behind. I hear the door shut and Sawyer stands in front of it, taking an 'at ease' military stance. Taylor is blocking my view of the desk and as he side steps to allow me visual, the fucker speaks.

"What the fuck is going on?!" Hyde jumps up when he sees me and starts to move around his desk. Taylor puts an arm between him and me to stop him.

"Don't you fucking touch me!" He spats.

"Stay where you are." Taylor warns.

"Why are you here?" He's looking at me.

"I'm here to fire you, Hyde." I tell him. _Come at me._ I want a reason to hit the fucker. My rage is through the roof for this dickbeater. Taylor spoke with me this morning, reminding me to keep my cool. I am the owner and this is Anastasia's workplace. I need to stay in control for her. _If I ever see him outside of SIP..._

Hyde actually laughs. "You can't fire me, Grey. You don't own the company, asshole."

I smirk. "Oh, but I do."

His eyes widen and then he scowls. "What?" He barks. The sound makes me cringe, filling me with anger. _I want to hit him._

"Pack your things." I tell him.

"Fuck you!"

I cock an eyebrow and Taylor speaks. "Don't make this harder than it has to be, Jack. Just pack your things and go quietly."

Hyde starts to laugh again and shakes his head. "Is this because of your cocktease of a girlfriend, Grey?"

My hands clench into fists and I suppress a growl.

"You really should keep her on a tighter leash. She has a tendency to leave a trail of purple dicks wherever she goes."

"You fucker." I growl and take a step forward, but Taylor puts his arm out again, keeping us apart.

The cock sucking son of a bitch has amusement written all over his face. "She came in here every morning, flipping her hair, batting her eyelashes, and biting that lip of hers. She'd lean over my shoulder to read, shoving those tits in my face and always smelling so good."

"Shut. Up." I'll kill him. I'll break every bone in his body one bone at a time.

"You know how she smells, Grey...so good it makes you salivate...I should have just taken her over my desk while I had the chance."

"You son of a bitch." My whole body is shaking; I've lost control.

"What's wrong baby bird?"

My body jerks at the name. _What. The. Fuck._ "What did you say?"

"Nothing."

I shake my head. My stomach has turned sour. "You're fired. You are no longer allowed on the premises. Pack up your things and go."

He smirks. "You've got more control than I gave you credit for, Grey."

I let out a laugh. "Looking to cash in on my temper, Hyde? This is business; let's keep it professional." I force myself to turn and head towards the door and turn before leaving. "I'll let my men have you."

I shut the door behind me and hear a crack. I smile and make my way back to _my_ Anastasia, a little spring in my step.

Ward is still at the door when I make my way down the hall.

"Let us know when he's been escorted out." I tell him and he gives me a nod and opens the door to allow me entry.

Anastasia hops up from her seat as soon as the door opens and hurries over to me. Her intoxicating scent washes over me, fueling the anger inside of me for the Hyde fucker. _I'll ruin him._

I pull her to me and kiss her hard on the lips. She's rigid at first, but it doesn't take her long to mold against me and her hands find my hair, pulling lightly as my tongue makes entry into her mouth. She hums and welcomes my intrusion.

When I pull away, we're both panting and her lips are red and swollen.

"Wow." She breathes.

I smirk. "Indeed, Miss Steele." _Remember how good I am, baby._

"Is he gone?" She asks, leaning against me.

I hold her tight against me and shake my head. "I left him to Sawyer and Taylor. He'll be gone soon. They'll make sure of it."

"Did you hit him?" She asks, her gazing dropping to my right knuckles.

"No, baby. I kept it professional." _I wanted to tear his dick off and shove it down his throat..._ but I decide to keep that bit to myself.

She nods and chews the inside of her lip. I know she wants to ask questions, but I won't give her details. I know that what he said would upset her.

As I continue to look at her, I see her chin lower and her eyes begin to swim with tears.

"Hey..." My tone is soft and I lift her chin, using my index finger. "Tell me."

She sniffles and diverts her eyes. "What if he _does_ go after your family? It'll be all my fault, Christian."

I cup her face in my hands, forcing her to look at me. "Everyone is going to be fine. I will keep everyone safe."

She nods uncertainly and chews her lip.

"Do you trust me?"

"Of course, sir."

"Then stop worrying. It's my responsibility, alright?" She nods and a few tears escape. I wipe them away with my thumbs. "I'll take care of it."

A small smile appears on her face. "Okay, Christian."

"There's my girl." My thumb traces her smile.

The door to the office opens and Ward sticks his head in. "All clear, sir."

I nod and turn my attention back to Anastasia. "Are you alright now? We've got a meeting to attend."

"Yes, Mr. Grey. I am fine."

We leave the office and I go in search of Ros so she can brief me on the meeting beforehand. I leave Ana to head to her desk, which needs to be moved, but I hear Elizabeth call for her.

"Ana! Can I see you in my office?" I look over my shoulder and see Anastasia following Elizabeth into her office.

 _Fuck._ Hopefully, she knows better than to question Anastasia about what went on with Hyde.

XxXxXx

I find Ros in the large conference room and she already has binders placed around the large table with extra ones sitting in front of her. She hears me enter and looks up, just as I pick up a binder to look through it.

 _Holy shit._ HR policies, job descriptions, pay grades, requests for drug screenings...it's all in here. _This is why I pay her a fortune._ Two fucking days and she's ready to take on a company.

"C...you better be kissing my ass for this. We paid our HR team overtime all weekend to get these done. It was my anniversary weekend, too, by the way. Worked all fucking weekend and slept on the damn couch for it."

I chuckle. "I'll send you and Gwen to Rome for a week."

Her eyes light up. "That might get me moved back to the bedroom..."

"Just let Andrea know when and she'll take care of it. Just charge everything to the room." _I might regret this._ I snort and shake my head at the thought.

Ros hands me an outline of what the meeting will entail and I look over it quickly, memorizing it, before handing it back to her.

Employees start to trickle in at ten minutes 'til and Ros and I stand in the front, allowing everyone ample room to take their seats. People keep making their way in, but Anastasia and Elizabeth have yet to emerge from her office. Through the glass wall of the conference room, my eyes lock on the office door at the end of the hall. It's still closed and I'm getting impatient. I can feel all the employees staring, at it's only making my irritation grow.

I check my watch and see that there's still two minutes before the meeting starts and if the Senior Editor of the damn company doesn't make it on time, I might have to make a few changes. Another minute passes, and Elizabeth's door finally opens. Anastasia heads out first and she is beaming. I let out a sigh of relief. I keep my eyes on the women as they talk and laugh together.

It doesn't take long before Anastasia feels my gaze and her eyes lock on mine before she blushes and her gaze falls to the floor. _Bashful Anastasia._

I've got to admit that I haven't seen shy Ana in a few days. My dick twitches, but I quickly switch gears, going over the bullet points for the meeting in my head, so that my dick doesn't make it's presence known.

I keep my eyes on Anastasia until she takes a seat, right next to that Ward fucker. My fists clench as Elizabeth takes the last seat next to her and Ros clears her throat to get everyone's attention. It brings me back to the present and reminds me that this is business. I force myself to relax my rigid muscles, but I refuse to look away from Anastasia.

As Ros introduces who we are and why we are there, Anastasia keeps her eyes on her binder, a slight pink tinge to her cheeks. My stare obviously has an effect on her and it's satisfying. I'm looking forward to being her boss's, boss's, boss. Her chin lifts a little and her eyes meet mine and she smiles bashfully up at me. I give her a soft smirk back, not wanting to draw too much attention to myself.

"Now, if you all will open your binders..." Ros's voice cuts through our little bubble and Anastasia's head ducks back down, her hair falling in her face, as she opens her binder. I watch her tuck her hair behind her ears with delicate fingers and it reminds me of just how exquisite she really is. _And all mine._

The Ward fucker leans in to say something to her and she turns her head to look at him and laughs silently, nodding. _What the fuck did he say to her?_

I keep an eye on her the rest of the meeting, but the dickbeater doesn't speak to her again.

It's another hour before Ros announces that the meeting is over.

"Take some time to go over your new contracts today and have them signed and turned in to HR by tomorrow evening. If none of you have any questions, you may return to your work area."

Everyone stands to leave, including Anastasia.

"Miss Steele! May I have a word?" I call out.

She turns and smiles at me, nodding. "Yes, Mr. Grey. Would you like to come to my office?"

 _Her office?_ I'm confused. "Sure." It comes out more like a question, but I follow her out and down the hall. I follow her into Hyde's old office and she shuts the door behind me. She moves to sit behind Hyde's old desk and part of me wants to tell her to Lysol it before she's contaminated, but I keep quiet.

"Have a seat, sir."

She waves her hand at the chair in front of his desk and I give her a curious look. _This is all so strange._

I take a seat and she grins, sitting back and looking around the room. "So, what do you think of my new office, Mr. Grey?"

My eyes pop out of my head. "What?"

She giggles. "My new office. That's what Miss Morgan wanted to speak to me about. She's noticed my hard work and says since I know what projects Jack was working on and have already been doing so much of the work, she's promoting me to Commissioning Editor...temporarily of course. I get a trial of ninety days and if I do well, I'll get to keep the job." She's practically jumping in her seat. "I never thought I'd get this opportunity so young. Sixty grand at twenty-two? Don't mind if I do." She giggles. "It's not a Christian Grey accomplishment or anything, but it means something to me." She shrugs.

I frown. I don't like that she's comparing. "Baby, don't talk like that. This is incredible news. We'll have to celebrate."

She blushes and shakes her head. "We don't have to."

I stand and make my way to her side of the desk, perching on the edge of it. "Don't disregard your achievement, Ana. If you keep discrediting your promotion, I'll have no choice but to punish you."

She bites her lip. "I _am_ pretty excited, sir."

I smile. "I know, baby. Your feet haven't stopped dancing since you've left Elizabeth's office."

She squeals and jumps up, unable to contain her excitement anymore, and throws her arms around my neck. I chuckle and hold her to me while she dances around in my arms.

"I know I can do this, Christian." She pulls away to look at me. "Jack was an ass, but I really did learn a lot while I was in this office. I got to hear him interact with our writers and hear how he sealed our contracts with them...I'm sure I can do what he did...maybe even better."

Hearing her speak so confidently about herself is making me hard. I love confident Ana. "I'm sure you'll be great, baby. I'm happy to have you on my payroll."

Her eyes widen, biting that bottom lip, and she slowly pulls away. "Right. I guess that isn't the most professional way to act in front of a boss, is it?" She looks down to smooth her clothes.

 _She's embarrassed._

She tries to take a step back, but I grab her, keeping her between my legs. "No, Anastasia. You are my girl, first and foremost. You report to Elizabeth. When we are alone...even at work, I want you to act just as you would at home. No need for embarrassment, no need for formalities. Tell me you understand." I lift her chin, my eyes locking hers.

"I understand, sir." She says quietly, but I notice the haze in her eyes and the the way her eyelids hood. _She's aroused._

"Are you my good girl, Anastasia?"

She bites her lip and nods.

"Good. Take off your panties." I stand and she takes a step back, looking surprised.

"My...my panties, sir?" She asks as I make my way to the door to lock it.

"Yes, Miss Steele. I didn't stutter. Off. Now." I turn and give her a hard look and she moans out loud.

I watch as she shimmies her skirt up until it's bunched at her waist and her lacy, pink underwear get pulled down her creamy, white legs before being discarded on the floor.

I make my way over to her, slipping off my dark gray suit jacket, throwing it on the chair, and start on my belt, not taking my eyes off of hers. By the time my erection is free, she's panting and I know it's going to be quick.

I grab her and carry her over to her old desk in the corner. Until the other one is sanitized, I won't have her on it. I don't want anything left over from him touching her skin.

I place her on her old desk, pushing the front of her shoulder lightly so she'll lay back. I take both of her ankles and lift them to my shoulders, her sexy little heels resting beside my ears.

I line myself up and see that she's biting her lip. "Quiet." I remind her.

I slam into her and both of her hands fly to her mouth as she tries to remain quiet. I reach up and hold the base of her neck to keep her in place and she moans out.

"Hush."

Her fingers leave her mouth and find the hand that's on her throat, caressing. "Oh, sir...please, tighter." She begs, putting a little pressure against my fingers to indicate what she means and I smile and grip the sides of her throat tighter, leaving the front open so it doesn't affect her airway.

"Yes, like that...sir...I'm going to come..." She whispers, her eyes rolling back into her head. I tighten my grip on her neck and she explodes. Halfway through, I release my grip and she is a shuddering mess on the table. Seeing her come undone, is the beginning of mine and I force her hips still as I come, making sure it keeps both of us from getting messy.

"Stay."

I grab onto my dick as I pull out of her and hold onto it while I make my way to my jacket to retrieve a handkerchief. I clean and fix myself, shoving my shirt back into my pants and I fasten them, before heading back over to Anastasia.

She's still panting when I return and I smile down at her. "I'm going to clean you up, baby. Open up. Let me see what's mine."

Her legs open and she places her heels on the desk so that her knees are bent. I listen to her take deep breaths as I wipe her and I grin.

"That good?"

She giggles, causing more of my seed to leak out and I get a half-boner at the sight. I fold the handkerchief and continue wiping.

"So good, Christian. I've always wanted you to do that." I see her toes curl at the thought.

I finish and roll the handkerchief up, shoving it in my pocket. I offer her a hand and pull her into the sitting position.

"Why haven't you told me?"

She shrugs. "I just figured if you liked it, you'd do it. I didn't want to force anything."

"I haven't done it, baby, because I didn't want to scare you." I search her face and then smooth her hair. "If there's something you like, you can tell me."

She's quiet for a few moments, thinking. "I like chokers, too, sir."

My gaze drops down to her face and she's smiling at me.

"Chokers?" I've never bought a choker for any of my submissives.

She nods. "I like them better than collars, because I can wear it always and no one else knows the significance of it. I don't have to take it off around my friends or family."

 _Fuck._ Chokers. "We'll see."

I want Anastasia to know she's mine, but I don't want her to lose her identity. There's a reason why I never put my subs in collars or chokers...well a few. Elena forced me to wear a collar and I hated it. It made me feel like an animal...less human. Another reason is because I only wanted my subs to feel completely under my power on the weekends. On the weekdays, they were still forced to live by the contract, but I wanted them to feel free enough to be themselves. Having something worn tightly against your neck is a constant reminder that someone else owns you... often, it forces the person to be submissive, even when the person representing the choker isn't around. I know that if that is what Anastasia wants and if that is what that Nev fucker did to her, then I'll do the same. I don't want him to have one damn thing that I don't have with her. If it'll bring us closer as a couple, I'm all for it. I'll pick it out myself. It's something so personal and intimate and I know it'll be important to Anastasia that I'm the one who chooses. _Hell_ , it's important to me to be the one who chooses.

I pull her up to standing position and start to pull down her skirt.

"Sir? What about my panties?"

I grin. "They're mine, now."

She stares at me, but I ignore it and continue to fix her skirt. I want to make sure it's pulled down enough so there's no chance of it riding up for Ward or anyone else to see. _Ward._

"Anastasia...tell me about Jesse Ward." I lock eyes with her, giving her a cold look, showing my disapproval.

She grins. "He's just a friend, Christian. A work friend."

"A work friend, huh? How is it that you've never mentioned him before?" I don't appreciate her keeping male friends from me.

She shrugs and fluffs her hair, trying to make herself look decent. "He wasn't worth mentioning. We aren't _that_ great of friends."

I clench my jaw. _How the fuck do I get rid of this fucker?_

"What did he say to you?"

She grins. "He said that I looked a bit flushed...wanted to make sure I was all right." She giggles. "All I told him was that I was fine. I definitely wasn't going to give the reason."

I cock an eyebrow. "And that reason?"

She bites her lip. "That the owner of the company was making me hot and bothered."

I chuckle and pull her towards me, wrapping my arms around her "That's right, baby."

She cocks her head to the side as she looks at me. "Seriously, Christian. It's not worth getting upset over. Jesse and I...we haven't even exchanged numbers. I've got you and he's got some girl that he's completely obsessed with...Alex or Ava or something of the sort.." She shakes her head, trying to remember. "Anyway, we're too obsessed with you two. You don't seem to care about Reese's friendship with me." She teases, grinning.

"You know why, Anastasia."

She giggles. "He might be beautiful, Christian" I snarl at the comment, "but, you...you're an Adonis. No one could compare to you." She leans up and kisses my adam's apple, continuing towards my face, peppering kisses to my chin, my jaw, and finally my mouth.

She hums. "Nothing compares to you." She says again, nipping at my bottom lip.

I don't want to admit it, but she's placated me for now. "Fine."

She grins and takes a couple steps back. "Now...I've got work to do, Mr. Grey. If you don't mind..." Her eyes land on the office door, silently asking me to leave.

"Excuse me?" I grab her wrist and yank her toward me, causing her to giggle. Once I have her in my arms, I spank her once. "I'll leave when I'm good and ready, Miss Steele."

She hums and runs her hands down the front of my shirt. "You aren't ready to leave, yet, sir?"

I crack a smile. "So insatiable..."

She smiles up at me through her lashes. "I can't help it. You make me wet, sir."

I growl and push her back against the desk. _Maybe one more round won't hurt._

"You've earned your panties back, Miss Steele. Open those legs."


	10. Red

**A/N: This one's for Miss Ebony! ;)**

 **I was really hoping that more of you would have caught Jesse Ward in the last chapter. Heather Ellesley has introduced me to the 'This Man' series and I've also fallen in love with Jesse Ward. ;) If you need a new read, I highly recommend it. FSoG will always be my favorite just because of Jamie Dornan as Christian, but Jesse Ward is in close second.**

 **Pinterest: NineN3Quarters**

 **My 'Second In Command': SanjanaSandeep232**

It's Friday night, half past six and I'm still at work. I have a meeting with a client first thing Monday morning and I need to get through this contract before then. I haven't been in much of a hurry, because tonight I go to Elliot's to spend the evening with him and Ethan while the girls are out for Kate's bachelorette party. I don't know why the fuck she feels the need to party when she's pregnant. I know I need to try harder with them, so I gifted the girls an evening at the spa to get prepped for the party and had even put in reservations for both my restaurant and club so that they'd get the royal treatment. I hate that I can't have my Ana tonight, but she's been so excited all week about it, I know that I can't pout about it. If I do, I know she'll find a reason not to go and stay home. I can't do that to her.

I rub my eyes and give up on the thick contract. I'll just have to bring it home with me. Ever since Anastasia moved in, I hate having to bring work home on the weekends, but sometimes it can't be avoided. I stick it in a manila envelope and shove it in my briefcase before making my way down to my R8. I gave Taylor the day off, because I knew I'd need him to pick me up later. If I'm going to endure an evening in my brother's basement, I'll need a few drinks.

When the elevator opens into the Penthouse, I am smacked in the face with a mixture of perfume, the sound of giggling, and the sight of the girls standing in the great room with Sawyer and Mia's CPO, Veronica Reigner. Kate's CPO isn't anywhere to be found and it pisses me off. _Why do I pay them?_

Kate has her back to me, but she's wearing a red dress and so is Mia. _Where is Anastasia?_

"Hello, ladies." I say, making my presence known.

Kate turns and smiles at me. "Christian! I'm glad we caught you. I want to thank you for everything you've done for us. It's been such a treat."

I give her a polite smile. "You're welcome, Miss Kavanagh. It really isn't a bother." _I want Anastasia to have a good time._

Mia opens her arms and I wrap her in mine, hugging her against me. "Isn't that a little revealing, Mia?" I eye her dress and cock an eyebrow at her.

She giggles and waves her hand dismissively. "I'm twenty-two, Christian. Wait until you see Ana."

My eyebrows knit together. _Fuck._ "Where is Ana?"

On cue, Anastasia clambers out of the bedroom, shutting the door behind her as she hops on one foot, slipping on a sky high, silver sparkly, peep toe Louboutin. She slips on the other and stands straight, smoothing her dress. _Her very RED dress. Fuck._ I do not want her in red. _Holy mother of fuck..._ She looks incredible though. Her eyes meet mine and I see that she's wearing dark smoky eyes and red lipstick. Her hair is half up and teased and my dick twitches in my trousers.

 _There is no fucking way she's going out in that._

She smiles at me and makes her way over, leaning up and pecking me on the lips. "Hi." She says sweetly.

My eyes narrow as I rake my eyes up and down her body, getting a better look at her dress. It's skin tight, stops two inches above her knees and is one-shouldered. There are silver sequins on the one shoulder, but the rest of the dress is red. _Blood red._

"What the fuck are you wearing?" I spit out, clenching my fists.

She crinkles her brow in confusion and runs her hands down the length of my lapels. I watch as she does, seeing that her nails are also red, but they fade to black at the ends. _Where the fuck did my sweet, shy Ana go?_

"You don't like it, Christian?" She asks, cocking her head to the side.

I nod. "I do." _...If I was taking her to the playroom maybe._

"Then what's the problem?" She asks.

"The _problem_ , Miss Steele, is that you are mine. I don't appreciate any other fucker looking at what's mine." _And that tight little number leaves little left to the imagination._

She looks down at herself and back up to me. "I think I look cute."

I snort. "No, baby. You don't look _cute._ Cute would be one of those a-line fit and flares I bought you. What you look is sexy." She smiles. " _Too sexy."_ I add, and watch as her smile drops.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Kate and Mia retreat towards the elevator.

"But, Christian...don't you trust me?" A 'V' forms on her forehead and I can't resist the urge to press my lips against it.

"I do, baby." I say against her skin. I pull back and look down at her. "It's the other fuckers I don't trust. I'd like you to change."

"No."

My breath is forced out of me. _She's never said that to me before._ "What did you say, Miss Steele?"

She stands taller, trying to look more confident. "No. I said no, Christian. Everyone is wearing red and there isn't anything red in my closet. I'm wearing it."

I am shell-shocked. "If you decide to wear this, Anastasia, you _will_ be punished when you get home."

She looks straight into my eyes and I have to force myself not to soften.

"Okay."

"WHAT?!" I yell, making her wince.

"Okay." She repeats and walks away from me to retrieve her handbag off the couch, her heels clicking on the hard floor.

I'm stuck in place, angry as a yellow-jacket. _Oh, she's going to get it._

She continues towards the elevator and the two CPO's follow.

"SAWYER! DON'T YOU DARE LET HER OUT OF YOUR SIGHT FOR ONE GOD-DAMNED SECOND!" I yell, my voice echoing in the vastness of the room.

He looks over his shoulder and nods and I watch, wide-mouthed, as the elevator closes with my girl wearing the dress that I forbade her to wear.

I let out a loud, frustrated growl and stomp my way up the stairs and to the gym. I feel murderous. I know if I don't work out the rage before I go to my brother's, I might drink myself into oblivion...and I know my attitude toward my brother will be shit. _How the fuck am I going to get through the night?_

All I want to do is chase after Anastasia and yank her out of the building, forcing her to come home so I can punish her and get it over with. _I need to calm down._ Our relationship has been so great so far and I don't want to ruin it because of my jealousy issue. _She knows I'm dominant..._ She should have known how I would react! God damn it! She's _mine._ Her flouncing around in a dress like that is so disrespectful! She had no problem listening to me at the vacation home when I told her to cover her legs...now, suddenly she's defying me just because that slag and my sister are around.

 _'She has a tendency to leave a trail of purple dicks wherever she goes..'_ Hyde's words fill my head and I growl.

"Fuck this." I yank the key out of my treadmill, forcing it to stop, and hop down. I grab one of the white towels off the shelf and wipe my face as I make my way downstairs to my bedroom to shower.

I make quick work of it and hurry to dress in trousers and my custom-tailored button-up. I don't grab a jacket, even though I know women will gape as I walk by.

I grin. _Let's see what she thinks of that._

XxXxXx

When I pull up at my brother's, he and Ethan are outside, throwing a football around.

"It's about time, bro!" Elliot yells and throws the football towards me. I barely register it before it smacks me in the abdomen and I catch it in my arm.

I shove my keys in my pocket and throw it back, much harder than necessary, nearly knocking the wind out of him when it hits his chest.

"Woah, Christian...what's up?" His frown line is deep and I can tell he is genuinely worried about me.

I sigh and run my hand through my hair. "Let's go out."

Elliot looks surprised. "Really? Where?"

"The Mile High Club."

His eyebrows knit together. "Aren't the girls going to be there later?"

I shrug. _Don't start, Elliot._

After a beat, he nods. "Yea, okay. Let me change."

Ethan looks down at his t-shirt. "Dude!"

Elliot laughs. "Come on, you can borrow a shirt."

We follow Elliot into the house and Ethan follows him up the stairs, but I continue on, stopping in the kitchen, and helping myself to a water bottle in the fridge. I have a seat at the island and sigh.

I don't know how Anastasia is going to deal with me being there...hell, maybe she doesn't even have to know. If she's a good girl, she won't have to. I'll make my presence known only if need be.

I pull my phone out of my pocket and pull up Sawyer's number.

 _*I expect an update every twenty minutes.*_

He sends one back to me, almost immediately.

 _*Yes, sir. The girls are eating dinner. Miss Steele has chosen the lemon chicken and is midway through her first Zinfandel.*_

It makes me feel better, but only a little. If she's sitting, she's hidden by the table and her chair and I've already made sure they had a private corner, so there shouldn't be anyone bothering them.

I shove my phone back in my pocket and chug my bottle of water, knowing I'll be drinking later. I pull open the trash cabinet and throw it in the recycling bin. When I turn, I hear feet clamber down the wooden steps and so I make my way back to the entryway.

"I'll drive." Elliot announces, grabbing his keys off the entryway table.

I give him a nod. Taylor will be picking me up anyway.

We climb into his black GMC Sierra Denali truck..and I mean climb...because the damn thing is lifted, but thankfully not as high as his last one. On the way there, my phone vibrates and I know that it's Sawyer.

 _*Still eating, on her second glass of Zinfandel now. Man tried to approach, Reigner and I blocked him. He's vacated the premises.*_

 _Fuck._ He better not have been after my Ana.

 _*Text me as soon as the girls are done eating.*_

I'm hoping that I can get us into the club before the girls get there so that they don't see us. I want to find a dark corner where I can watch. _Stalk is more like it..._ I shake my head at the thought. _She's mine._

Another couple of minutes and we jump out at the valet and make our way straight for the elevator. The climb to the club seems to be longer than normal and I find myself anxious to get in and settled and hidden from Anastasia.

I almost snort at the thought. _Why the fuck to I care?_ It is my club. I'll do whatever the fuck I want to do.

Once inside, I'm greeted by the staff immediately and ask them where the girls are going to be placed. They show me and I choose the VIP section next to them, a sheer white drape separating us. I turn the lamp off in our section and sit in the dark corner of it to wait for the girls.

My phone vibrates.

 _*We're in the elevator now, heading to the club.*_

 _*Thanks Sawyer. I am here, but do not tell the girls.*_

 _*Yes, sir.*_

Since it is his job to keep an eye out, I have no doubt he would have caught us and I don't want him surprised or coming up to us unless needed.

The waitress brings us some beers to start, not looking happy about the lack of bottles. _Don't worry, we'll be using the bottle service soon._

I watch as the girls make their way in, giggling. My sister is already fucking drunk, using Reigner as a crutch as she giggles and trips over her own feet in her Jimmy Choos. Ana and Kate are arm in arm behind her, giggling-no doubt at my ridiculous sister.

"Mmm-mmm-mmm!" My brother states out loud. He whistles loudly at the two and I punch him hard in the arm. Luckily, they didn't hear him over the music.

"What the fuck, man?" He asks, rubbing his arm. His eyes widen in realization. "They don't know we're here do they?"

I scowl at him when he laughs.

"Oh, this is going to be fun." He rubs his hands together. "I'm ready to drink my way into oblivion while we keep watch."

"SH!" I state as they enter their VIP section. I'm sure they can hear us.

 _"This place is incredible, Kate!"_ I hear my girl through the thin, sheer drape and I snap my head around to listen. I can see red dresses through the drape and can pick out which one she is just by the silhouette. She sits in the corner, right on the opposite side of me.

 _FUCK._

 _"I know! Christian has good taste!"_ Kate answers.

 _"Oh, damn! You aren't kidding!"_ Mia's voice comes across and I hear jingling. It sounds like ice against glass. No doubt my sister has found the Cristal I ordered for the table to start. There's also sparkling cider for Kate.

 _"May I open that for you, miss?"_ A male's voice asks.

Of course it's got to be a fucker that's assigned to their section. I take a deep breath to calm myself, and get a whiff of Ana's perfume. Even through the sheer curtain, it smells incredible. _Oh, fuck me._ My dick salutes the familiar scent and makes his presence known, ready for action. _Sorry, bud. None of that._

I lean forward and grab my beer, chugging the rest of it. Ethan leans over to whisper in my ear.

"You know they're going to kill us if they find out we are here and can hear everything they say."

I turn my head to look at him and shrug. _I don't give a fuck._

"I think it's time for something a little stronger, gentlemen. Whiskey?" My brother asks quietly.

I nod. "Fine."

He looks over to Ethan and Ethan agrees.

 _"To Kate and Elliot!"_ Mia's voice squeaks.

 _"Mia! Be careful! Sit your drunk ass down, will you?!"_ Kate's voice hisses. Of course it would be my sister getting pissed first.

 _"I'm fine, Kate! You sit down!"_

 _"You both could just sit down."_ Ana states, like it's the most obvious thing in the world. I grin.

There is a thud and giggling. _"Let's get you some water."_ My girl states and my heart warms, knowing she's trying to take care of my sister.

 _"NO!"_ Mia shouts. _"You know, when Ethan and I get married..."_

"Fuck!" Ethan shouts. His eyes are popping out of his head and sweat is starting to form on his forehead.

 _"What was that?"_

The girls are quiet for a second.

 _"It's probably the group behind us. Keep going, Mia...tell us how you're going to become a Kavanagh..."_ Ana pokes fun at her while I watch Ethan rub his face roughly. By the look of it, marriage was the furthest thing from his mind and it actually makes me chuckle. He shoots me a scowl and grabs his beer, chugging it.

The waitress brings our whiskey and as soon as Ethan's is poured, he downs it. Elliot and I end up in silent laughter, our shoulders shaking as Ethan silently drowns his anxiety in alcohol.

 _"What about you, Ana?"_

The use of her name makes my ears perk.

 _"What about me?"_

 _"Do you see yourself married to Christian?"_ Kate asks.

I can feel Ethan and Elliot's eyes on me, but I continue to look at my glass of whiskey.

 _"I don't think marriage is in the cards for us."_ My Ana answers, and my heart breaks at her tone.

 _"What?"_

 _"Why not?"_

The girls ask in tandem. I find myself holding my breath, hoping she'll answer them.

 _"Well...Christian isn't the type of person to settle down."_

 _"I don't know, Ana...he seems to have settled considerably since vacation."_

 _"Let's not talk about that. We're here to celebrate you, Kate! You're going to become a Grey and a mom. We need to celebrate your last bit of freedom!"_ Anastasia giggles, but I can tell it's forced.

 _"You really don't think you'll ever become a Grey?"_

 _"Just drop it, Kate!"_ Ana snaps. _"Let's go dance."_

My heart has plummeted to the floor. Anastasia feels like she'll never be anything more than she is right now. She _has_ to know how I feel about her...She's my one. My only. I'm not willing to let her go anywhere. I _will_ show her she means more to me than just the girl of the hour. _I need to make a call to Raymond Steele._

We watch the girls on the dance floor for awhile and I can't keep my eyes off my girl. She looks so carefree and happy; I enjoy watching her until I see her dress shimmy up as she dances and her thighs start showing. _Those. Are. Mine._ My jealousy creeps back up and I am reminded of why I am here. _How should I punish her?_

Kate makes her way back and takes a breather and I see Anastasia make her way to the bar to ask for something. The bartender hands her a bottle of water and as she turns, the male next to her stands. He calls after her and she whirls around, towards him. _Who is that fucker?_

"KATE!" I bark, separating the curtains and making her scream.

"Christian?" She asks, when her eyes focus on me.

"Who is Anastasia speaking to?" Yes, I've blown our cover, but I don't give a fuck.

Kate searches for Ana in the crowd and squints. "Oh, that's our old professor, Professor Lewis."

My blood turns cold. "What's his first name?"

"Oh...um...I think it's Neville or something..."

 _FUCK!_ I jump up and make my way toward them. Sawyer is watching closely, but I see Anastasia talking to the fucker, looking at him through her eyelashes, her chin lowered a couple of inches. _I'll kill the mother fucker._

The fucker watches as I walk up behind Anastasia and I wrap an arm around her small waist, the other hand holding her hip. She squeaks and turns her head to look at me and I tilt my head so that it's easier for her to see me.

"Christian!" She's surprised, but her mouth morphs into a large smile. I smile down at her and press my lips to her temple. It feels good to have her back in my arms, even if I _am_ angry with her.

"Hi, baby." I greet. _She's mine, asshole._

I eye the fucker and she realizes her manners.

"Oh! Christian, this is Nev. Nev, this is Christian."

"Nice to meet you, Christian." The asshole puts his hand out and I look down at it and back to him.

"Likewise." I say.

He sighs, realizing I'm not going to shake his hand and lowers his hand. "I was just telling Anastasia here that I was just in town for the week and was meeting an old friend here. She hasn't arrived, yet." His eyes remain on Anastasia and he gives her a crooked grin.

 _Is this supposed to make me feel better?_ The fucker has taken _MY_ Ana's virginity and he expects me to be all chummy with the bastard? He can fuck off. Actually, that's exactly what he needs to do.

She smiles back at him and _fuck me.._.She fucking blushes at the mother fucker.

"Anastasia...dance with me." It isn't a question. My rage is beginning to take over my body and if I don't get her away from this son of a bitch, I might just kill the bastard.

She looks back at me and nods before turning back to _him._ "It was nice seeing you, Nev. Enjoy your evening."

I start to pull Ana away and I hear him say, "Enjoy yours, doll."

I stop in my tracks and Anastasia gasps. She hears his mistake, too. "Christian! Just come dance with me."

I turn back towards the fucker. "What did you just call my girlfriend?" _This fucker has some balls._

His eyes widen. "I-I'm sorry. I hadn't realized...I didn't mean anything by it...a habit is all." He puts his hands up in surrender. "I'm not looking to disrespect you or take your girl."

I cock an eyebrow. "You will not speak to Anastasia again." I grab Anastasia's hand and pull her towards the VIP. _I need a drink, first._

"Christian...I thought we were dancing..." She calls as I yank her across the dance floor, holding my arm out to make sure no one bumps into us. Sawyer hurries to get in front of us and does it for us.

I make it to our VIP area and drop her hand. "Stay." I grab the bottle of whiskey and pour myself a double into my empty glass before downing it. I place my tumbler back on the glass table and turn, grabbing Anastasia by the back of the head and pulling her in for a harsh kiss.

"You. Are. Mine!" I growl when I pull my lips off of hers. "Don't you ever speak to that fucker again, do you understand?"

She nods, breathless. "Yes, sir."

I release the back of her head and grab her hand, pulling her to the dance floor. I pull her close to me as the music thumps and begin to grind against her. I need to let out some aggression.

Her eyes darken and her eyelids hood immediately. _That didn't take long._

My lips rest against her ear. "Feel what I do to you, baby. Only I can make you feel like this."

I can feel her pulse on her neck throbbing hard against my chin as she whimpers.

We continue to dance and grind and I end up rolling up my sleeves, trying to keep myself from getting overheated. There's sweat on my brow and I can feel my shirt sticking to my back, but I don't care. I pull Anastasia closer to me and she turns to rub her incredible ass against me. I loop an arm around her and hold her close as we move together. Her hair is starting to stick to her neck and I use one hand to move her hair to one side, before blowing lightly against her neck. She tightens her grip that she has on my arm and rolls her neck.

I nuzzle her nose with my ear. "That feel good, baby?"

She nods.

I continue to blow on her neck, my lips getting closer to her skin until my mouth finally latches onto her neck. I kiss, nibble, and suck along her neck and she's practically trembling in my arms. I collect her hair into a makeshift ponytail and continue my assault on the other side. She's mewling and moaning, her bottom lip is trapped between her teeth and her eyes are closed.

I grind my hips into her, my erection pressing into her soft backside, and her head falls back against the front of my shoulder.

"Do you want me, Anastasia?"

She nods.

"Should I take you home?"

She nods against my shoulder again.

"Stay." I tell her, stilling my movements. I need to find Elliot and let him know we're leaving.

I find him and Kate on the dance floor and I let them know we're on our way out. Elliot let's me know Kate will drive them home and he'll let Ethan know to deal with Mia.

I make eye contact with Sawyer and he gives me a nod and pulls out his phone. Taylor should be here soon. I come back to Anastasia, who is standing in the middle of the dance floor trying to wait patiently.

"Ready?"

"I just need my handbag."

I give her a nod and we make our way over to the VIP area where she grabs her clutch. She turns back to me, ready to leave and I lean down and yank her dress back down to her knees. _She will never wear this dress again._

She gives me a shy smile and takes my hand when I offer it. _Don't you dare act shy now, Miss Steele!_

When we get into the SUV, I immediately hit the button so that the wall comes up between the front and us. She watches me with wide eyes and I wrap my arms around her, continuing my work on her neck and continue my way down her chest. _I want her ready to burst when I punish her._

She keeps mewling and moaning as I work her soft, pale skin into a shade of pink.

"Mmm, Christian...Please..." She's breathless and she keeps shifting her hips, trying to find some friction, but I keep my hips away from her.

"Please what, Anastasia?" I ask against her skin.

"Touch me."

"I am touching you, baby."

She whimpers. "You know what I mean...Please, sir."

"Shh, not yet." I pull my mouth off of her neck and search her face.

She whimpers at my answer. I smooth her hair out of her face.

"Do you want me to make love to you, Ana?"

She nods. "Yes, Christian."

I sigh and sit back against my seat. "I won't touch you until you've been punished."

She gasps. "But, sir! I-but...I want you." She pouts.

"Don't pout. You put this on yourself, Miss Steele. You knew the consequences of wearing that dress." I eye the damn dress and wish I could just tear it to pieces right now.

"What are you going to do to me, sir?"

"You'll find out. When we get home, go straight to the bedroom and take your clothes off. Stand beside the bed until I get there."

She chews her lip and nods. "Yes, sir."

XxXxXx

Anastasia hurries off to the bedroom, but I stop by my office to check some emails on my computer first. She can wait. Ten minutes pass before I decide that she's waited long enough and I head into the bedroom. She's standing at the bedside naked, her hands clasped in front of her while she waits for instruction. She keeps her head bowed and her eyes on the floor. I walk right past her and head into our closet to retrieve what I need. I grab her cream colored silk robe, her nipple clamps, and a new toy I've ordered...the Ben Wa balls.

I return to Anastasia and tell her to lay on the bed. When she's done as commanded, I kiss her lips once and search her face. "I hate that I have to do this, Anastasia. I'd rather just press you into the mattress and make love to you." If I do though, she'll never take my threats seriously.

"Then why can't we?" She asks, her eyebrow forming a 'V' again.

I chuckle. "You know why."

She sighs and I kiss her lips once more, kissing my way down her neck and taking a nipple into my mouth. She hums and arches her back, pressing her chest against my face. Once I work it enough for it to lengthen and harden, I slip the nipple clamp onto it.

She gasps and jerks, but doesn't say anything.

I continue on and do the same with the opposite and then pull on the chain lightly, making her moan out.

"Pull your legs up and grasp the back of your knees." Her eyes widen and I show her the Ben Wa balls. "Do as I say."

Once she's done it and she bears her center to me, I have to force myself to stay calm. She's so pink and wet-I almost lose it and just fuck her right here. I take a deep breath and hold the balls in my hand, warming them for her.

"Let me know if these are uncomfortable." I tell her, not taking my eyes off her center. I don't wait for an answer and begin to insert the first metal ball. She hums and rolls her head in response, so I take that as a sign to continue and slip the second one inside of her.

I stand and hold my hand out to her. "Up."

I pull her up and she gasps as she stands. "Do not allow them to come out." I grab her cream robe and hold it open for her. "Here. Put this on."

She looks at me, completely mortified. I know she has no idea what I have in store for her. When she doesn't move, my hand comes around to smack her backside lightly.

"Do as I say, Anastasia."

Her arms automatically shoot out to the sides so that I can slip it on her. I purposely run the silk over her clamped nipples and her eyes roll back into her head. Once I've secured it, I put my hand on the small of her back.

"Into the kitchen, Miss Steele."

This time she doesn't waste any time and does as I say, stopping a beat after a few feet while she gets use to the feel of the Ben Wa balls. I do my best to suppress my grin and I press my hand into the small of her back slightly to get her moving again.

Once we're in the kitchen, she stands, waiting for direction.

"Unload the dishwasher." I nod my head towards the dishwasher and have a seat at the breakfast bar.

She gives me an odd look before she turns and begins to put away the dishes. It's takes her longer than it normally would, because she has to search every now and again for where different items are kept. She keeps having to stop to gather her bearings and in the middle, I chuckle, watching her having a hard time. She gives me a small scowl and continues her chore.

"That isn't very polite, Anastasia. Do I need to assign another chore for being impolite?"

She whimpers at the thought. "No, sir. I'm sorry." She turns to me, her eyebrows knitted together in worry.

I give her a nod. "Apology accepted, Miss Steele."

I wait for her to finish, watching as her breathing continues to accelerate to the point of her almost panting. Once she is done, she turns to me and sighs, relieved.

"Now, tell me why you're being punished."

Her eyes are glued to the floor. "Because I wore the red dress."

"And?"

Her eyebrows knit together.

"Do you think that it's polite to speak to prior doms when I'm not around?"

"He's my friend, sir." Her voice is soft.

"Do you always bow your head to your _friends_ , Anastasia?"

Her eyes widen, but she keeps them on the floor. "I did that?"

 _Fuck._ She didn't even notice. "Yes, Anastasia!"

She jumps at the loudness of my voice.

"Tell me you won't ever speak to him again."

She shakes her head. "I won't, sir. I already said I won't."

I nod. "Come."

She moves around the island carefully, wincing every once in awhile. When she gets to me I spin her around so that her back is to me and I move her hair away from her neck. I run my nose from her ear to the base of her neck and groan. _She smells fucking phenomenal._

"Have you been punished enough, Anastasia?"

She whimpers. "Yes, sir."

"Are you my good girl, now?"

She nods. "I'm your good girl."

I reach around her and pull on the bow of her robe, before slipping the robe off her shoulders and letting it pool at her feet. I slip my hand around her front and slip my finger into her apex, lightly running it over her clit.

She whimpers and her head falls back against my chest.

"You're soaked, Anastasia."

She pushes her hips into my hand more. "Please...Christian..."

"Please what, baby?"

"Touch me. I ache for you."

I groan into her neck and press my dick into the small of her back. I'm rock hard.

"Should I fuck you right here?"

She nods. "Yes! Yes...right now."

I chuckle and kiss her shoulder. "I'm going to fuck you hard and then you're going to take a shower and wash all that makeup off your face. I want my sweet Ana back."

"Yes, sir." Her whole body is shaking. I grab her by the base of the neck and force her to bend over the island. I drop my pants and sigh when my erection finally springs free. It aches for her.

I keep the nape of her neck between my fingers and thumb and use my knee to force her legs open. I reach between her legs and find the string from the Ben Wa balls, pulling quickly, and grin when she cries out. I let them drop to the floor and line myself up to her, slipping into her slowly. Her hips push back against me, urging me on.

"Fuck." I hiss, feeling her walls already sucking me in, milking me, and working me.

I force my hips back, until only my crown is inside of her and thrust forward hard, enjoying her cry out. She puts her hands up to her mouth to quiet herself.

I pull back to my crown again. "Scream for me, Anastasia." I slam into her and she screams again.

I still. "You feel so good." I pull out again and force myself into her.

"Christian!"

"What baby? Tell me." I pull my hips back again and still.

"Please...please."

"Faster?"

She nods. "Yes."

"Harder?"

"Oh, Christian...yes, please."

I grip the nape of her neck harder and begin to fuck her fast and hard. Her screams and my grunts are bouncing around the kitchen and I'm sure that Taylor and Gail can probably hear from their side, but I don't give a fuck. She feels too fucking good.

When she comes the first time, I release the nipple clamps, and am forced to hold her up when her legs collapse from under her. I force myself to wait until she comes again before I release, pumping my seed into her until both of our muscles relax. The top of my body is resting against hers while I catch my breath, but she doesn't seem to mind. She reaches back and holds on to the back of my thigh.

I stand, stepping away from her, and pull up my bottoms, tucking myself back in. She turns and opens her arms, trying to hug me, but I stop her.

"No, Anastasia." I grab her arms and put them at her sides. "Go get in the shower."

Her forehead wrinkles and her lips are pulled down into a frown. Her eyes hit the ground and she nods. "Yes, sir."

She runs off naked, towards our bedroom, and I frown at her retreating form. _She's hurt._

 _Stay strong, Grey._ I need to make my point. I want my sweet Ana, not that sexpot I saw tonight.

I grab the Ben Wa balls off the floor and make my way into the bedroom. As soon as I open the door to the bedroom I am hit with the sound of sobbing. It's like ice water being poured over my whole being. My skin erupts in goosebumps and I book it to the bathroom, dropping the balls somewhere along the way.

When I pull open the door, I see Anastasia through the glass of the shower, sobbing into the tile corner, curled up with her knees to her chest.

 _Fuck. Fuck._ I am such a fucking bastard.

I yank the door open and drop to my knees behind her, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her into my lap. I'm clothed, but I don't give a fuck. She turns in my arms and sobs into my chest. _I don't deserve her._

I hold her as tight as I can, rocking her back and forth. "Sh...I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Anastasia is a sensitive girl and I know this. _Why the fuck did I deny her affection?_ To make a stupid fucking point. The only fucking point I made was to show her how much of a jackass I really am.

"I'm right here, Anastasia. I'm here. I'm sorry."

Her body is still jerking with sobs and all I can do is hold her until she cries it out. I keep kissing her face, her ears, and her hair while I keep whispering how sorry I am and how much I love her.

Finally her body settles and she takes a deep breath. "I just don't understand." Her voice cracks.

"What don't you understand?" I smooth her hair away from her face, but then she nuzzles her nose into my breast bone. "You can tell me, baby."

"You said my punishment was over..."

My heart sinks even more. _I did say that._

"I'm sorry, Ana. I made a mistake. Please forgive me." I hold her tight against me, burying my nose in her wet hair. "I will _never_ deny you affection again." _And I don't want to._

She sniffles and nods against me.

"Can I take care of you?"

A small smile forms on her face and she straightens up so she can look at me. Her mascara has run all over her face and I notice black mascara and eyeshadow all over my shirt along with red lipstick stains, but it's the least of my worries. My girl needs me.

I start to stand and pull her up with me. I bend and kiss her lips softly as I begin to unbutton my shirt. She stands patiently while I disrobe and I throw my wet clothes into the corner of the shower. Her eyes wander over my body and I grin at her.

"Let's get you cleaned up."

Her eyes leave my body and return to my face and she smiles up at me and nods.

I take the white washrag and squirt her facewash onto it, washing her face gently in circular patters until her face is fresh and makeup free. Her lips are still stained red, but it'll wear off soon.

"There's my sweet girl." I rinse her face with the clean end of the washrag and kiss her again. She nuzzles back into my chest and I hold her to me.

"Hair next?"

She nods against me.

I work her hair into a lather and rinse it, before applying her conditioner. I let it sit on her hair while I wash her body with my hands, paying special attention to her shoulders and back muscles as I work the rest of the tightness out of her body. Once I'm finished rinsing her, I sit her on the built in bench while I wash myself. I feel the need to have her close.

She watches as I clean myself and by the time I am finished, her lip is between her teeth and her chest is rising and falling rapidly. I give her a wink, causing her to blush.

I chuckle at her shy reaction. "Let me dry you and I'll carry you to bed."

She smiles, her eyes sparkling. "Will you make love to me?"

I pick her up off the bench and step out on the rug with her. "Is that what you want?"

She nods. "Yes."

I kiss her lips and let her slide down my wet body until her feet hit the rug. I take my time, drying her while I dip down and kiss her shoulders, her back, her abdomen, and then her lips. I make quick work with myself and open my arms for her. She reaches up and wraps her arms around my neck and pulls herself up, wrapping her legs around me.

"Spider monkey." I comment, making her giggle into my neck. I wrap my arms around her and carry her off to bed, where I lay us down together, me on top of her.

"I love you." I tell her, nuzzling her nose with mine.

"I love you, too."

I smirk at her words and kiss her nose. "You ready?"

She nods, tightening her legs around me.

I reach down and position myself at her entrance, pushing myself into her. Her chin lifts and her head falls back with a moan. My hand returns to cupping her head and I make slow work of loving her. She clings to me the whole time and I pepper her face with kisses.

It takes awhile before either of us find release, but neither of us care. We need the connection. I need to show her how I feel about her-how much I love her. Once I've marked her, I flip us over and she settles on top of me, letting out a sigh of content.

"You're it for me, Ana." I wrap her hair around my index finger. "I want you to be mine, always."

"Ever yours, Christian."

My heart swells and warms at her admission. "Ever mine." I repeat, smiling at the ceiling.

She turns her head and kisses my chest. Once her head settles back down, she lets out a big yawn.

"Sleep, baby."

"Don't let go." her voice is soft, but I can hear the urgency in it.

I tighten my grip on her. "Never." _I'll never let her go._


	11. Daisies

**A/N: Just a small, feel-good chapter! :) Enjoy!**

 **Pinterest: NineN3Quarters**

"Get up!" I open my eyes and am greeted by my Ana, staring down at me while she straddles my waist.

I stretch, arching my back, and sigh, closing my eyes. "What time is it?"

"It's half passed one! We've got to go!" She's excited. I'm surprised she's not bouncing up and down on the bed at this point. Today is Sunday at my parents and we're going to play baseball before dinner.

I chuckle up at her. "What if I want to nap a little longer?"

She pouts. "I'll just go without you." She starts to climb off of me, but I grab her and roll us over so that she's pinned. She squeals as I start rubbing my stubble over her sensitive neck in retaliation.

"Don't you dare go without me!" I tell her as she wiggles around, trying to get away from my scratchy face.

Her hands fly to my face, holding each cheek and she smiles up at me. "I love you." She pulls my face down to hers for a kiss.

"Mmm, now that's the way I want to be woken up."

She grins. "I'll remember that."

I lean in to steal another kiss before climbing off of her. "Wear what you want this afternoon; I'll pick out your dress for dinner. I'm going to jump in the shower."

XxXxXx

After my shower, I tell her I need to go into my office to make a quick phone call and then we'll be off.

I sit at my desk, staring at the phone number of Raymond Steele and my hands are actually sweating. I don't remember the last time I was this nervous...probably as a teenager. I'm not even sure if Anastasia has even told him about us, yet.

I finally pick up my phone and dial his number, holding my breath as I hear it ring.

"Hello?"

My heart thuds in my chest at his voice. I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. _Fuck._ Where the fuck did my balls go?

"Hello?" He says again and I clear my throat.

"Hello, Mr. Steele?"

"Yes?"

"I'm not sure if you remember me, but this is Christian Grey...Carrick's son?"

There's a pause. "Yes..."

 _Where the fuck do I go with this?_

"Well, I'm not sure if you've heard, but Anastasia and I are a couple now-"

"Yes, my daughter has mentioned it." _He cut me off!_ I can't even be angry about it. The one man in the world that I can't rave at.

"Oh, good. Well, I was wondering if you'd be interested in having us fly down to see you soon. I want to formally introduce myself as her boyfriend."

"Hmm..." He doesn't sound happy. I'm sure it's not because he doesn't want to see Ana...so it's got to be me that he isn't happy with. _Maybe my parents will sweeten the deal._

"I know my father was mentioning that he's been wanting to come down. I could fly my parents down with us."

"Let me speak with the Missus and I'll give you a call back. Is this number the correct number to call you?"

"Yes, sir."

"Alright. I'll give you a call."

"Great. Oh, and sir?"

"Yes?"

"Please don't mention it to Ana. I thought we could surprise her."

I hear him chuckle and it makes me relax a little. "Not a word."

He hangs up and I breathe a sigh of relief. Now...I've just got to make sure that Ana isn't around when he calls back.

XxXxXx

Ana, Elliot, Mia, and I stand in a line while Mom and Dad look over us, each a team captain for our baseball game. Kate is left out since she's pregnant, but she sits in a lawn chair sipping ginger ale...so I don't think she's bothered by it.

"Pick me! Pick me!" Mia is bouncing on the balls of her feet when my mother begins to pick.

"Christian!"

My sister scowls at me, but I grin, making my way over to my mother. _Looks like I get to be favorite today._

It's my father's turn and Mia continues to hop around with her hand in the air, looking a lot like a five year old.

"Elliot!"

"Dad!" Mia stomps, making him laugh.

"If I didn't grab Elliot, your mother would have and I need _someone_ who knows how to play baseball!"

"Hey!" Both girls scowl at him this round and he puts his hands up in defeat. "I'll pick you next, princess!" He assures Mia.

"But Mom might pick me!" Mia smiles sweetly at her mother and Anastasia rolls her eyes, making me grin.

My mother looks back and forth between the girls and her eyes settle on Ana.

"Would you like to be on Christian's team, dear?"

She smiles and nods.

"Okay, I pick Ana."

She raises her shoulders in excitement and makes her way over us, while Mia sulks in her spot.

"I told you I'd pick you next! Mia...you're on our team. We'll crush them." My father smacks his glove with his fist.

"Yea...yea...whatever you say darling. We bat first." Mom states, grabbing a bat.

Elliot's the pitcher and Mom is up to bat first. On her second try, she gets to first base and then it's my girl's turn.

I watch her take the bat and hold it up and I see Elliot grin at her stance. There is no fucking way she's going to hit that damn ball.

"Wait!" I call out and walk up behind her. "Here...let me show you."

I squat behind her, getting down to her level and hold my hands over hers on the bat. I explain how to stand and she sticks her butt out, her ass coming in contact with my groin area. She giggles when she realizes and shimmies a little, making Elliot laugh.

"Let's keep this PG, yea?" He calls out, and we both laugh with him.

Once we're in position, I tell Elliot to throw it. "Be nice, Elliot!" I warn.

He throws and the ball comes in contact with the bat and we actually hit it pretty far on her first try. She get so excited that she hops up and down.

"Ana! RUN!" I yell, smacking her backside to get her moving. Mia hurries after the ball and my Ana is passing second when Mia starts to chase her. I guess Ana refuses to be tagged because she runs into the outfield to get away from Mia when she comes after her and instead of tagging the base like she should, _Mia chases her!_

My mother hits home with no one even paying attention to her while everyone is watching the girls run around like chickens.

"GET HER MIA!" Elliot yells through laughter.

"RUN ANA! GET TO THIRD, BABY!" I bend over double, laughing and grasping my knees, as the girls continue to run all over the yard.

"JUST TAG THE BASE, MIA!" Dad yells and Mia stops to look at him.

"What?"

"OH FOR CHRIST'S SAKE!" Dad yells.

Ana has effectively lost my sister and touches third base before running around to home while Mia tries to catch up. When she hits home, she jumps in my arms.

"I did it!" She squeals, panting.

I hold her to me as I chuckle. "Good job, baby."

I put her down and she does her happy dance for Mia, while Mia scowls at her.

"Alright...let's get back to the game." Elliot states.

I grab the bat and take a few practice swings before I step up to the plate. First swing- strike, second swing-strike. My brother is grinning like a Cheshire and I feel my annoyance start to rise.

On the third strike I hit it and it's gone. It ends up in the meadow on the side of my parents house and my brother goes and chases it, knowing Mia would take forever to find it. I jog the bases and when I hit home, I lean down and peck Ana on the lips.

Since we only have a few to a team, we decide to switch after everyone's had a chance to bat. I pitch, Ana is in outfield and my mother is standing between the first and second base. Mia is up to bat first and actually hits it, but I catch it. My father is second and he hits it between second and third and I watch as Anastasia hustles to get it back to me. She throws it straight to me and I catch it, my eyes widening. _Holy shit._ My girl's got an arm. My father makes it to second and we're onto Elliot. Of course, on his first swing, he hits it out in the meadow and Anastasia runs to go get it.

When it's our turn to bat again, my mother hits the ball and Mia goes after it. She starts towards my mother and my mother stops and puts her hands on her hips. _Why the fuck is she stopping?!_

"Don't you even think about tagging your own mother! After everything I do for you Mia Trevelyan Grey!" _Is this really fucking happening?_

Mia's eyes are wide and her jaw is practically laying on the grass at my mother's antics. My mother continues on past her and Mia watches as she heads for home plate. _You have got to be kidding me!_

"What is wrong with you?" Elliot asks Mia, mortified.

"But...but..." Mia looks put off.

I look over to my mother and she's got a smug grin on her face. _The queen of guilt trips._ I'm just glad it's to my advantage for once.

When Anastasia bats, she gets to second. I hit the ball on the second swing, but it's not as far as it was before and I know I've got to move. Anastasia is jogging in front of me and I'm about to catch up with her.

"Ana! Go!"

She looks behind her and screams as I come up behind her and grab her, throwing her over my shoulder as I continue to home. She bounces along the whole way, laughing, and when I put her down, I pull her to me.

"I love that sound." I tell her.

Her eyebrows furrow. "What sound?"

"You laughing."

She blushes and looks down at her feet. My shy Ana is back and I love it.

I feel my phone start to vibrate in my pocket and I hold a finger out, asking for a minute.

When I look at the caller ID, I see that it's Mr. Steele. I jog off towards the house and answer.

"Hello?"

"Christian?"

"Yes, sir."

"I've spoken to Mrs. Steele and we've decided that it would be alright for you to come up for a long weekend. Is this Friday alright with you?"

I quickly run through my week in my head. "Friday should be fine. We're at my parents now, so I will speak to them and we'll get back to you."

XxXxXx

"You cheated!"

"I don't know what you're talking about!"

My sister and mother have been going at it for the past five minutes, after we won 12-9. It was fun in the beginning, but now I'm starting to get a headache from all of Mia's whining and the chaos that surrounds my family.

"Ana, why don't you go get changed?" I ask, needing a minute with my father.

She nods. "Yes, Christian."

I hang back, waiting for my father and asking him for a minute of his time.

"What is it, son?"

"I was wondering if you and mom could get Friday off and fly down with Anastasia and me to Georgia to see the Steeles."

He eyes me. "You're going to see Ray?"

I nod. "I just think I should properly introduce myself to them as Anastasia's boyfriend."

He cocks his head to one side. "It's getting pretty serious, then."

 _What the fuck does that mean?_ "I love her."

"You don't happen to be going down there to ask Ray for her hand, are you?"

My heart stops for a beat or two. "I just want to surprise Ana and spend time with her family. I've never really seen their family dynamic."

He cocks an eyebrow. "Does her father know the...nature of your relationship?"

"What?" _What. The. Fuck?_

"It's obvious that you and her have a unique dynamic. I know you said that she wasn't like the others you had in the past, but it's very obvious that she submits to you."

My jaw clenches. "She is _not_ under a contract. It's who she is...it's what she wants. If it wasn't, then I would respect that. She likes having me care for her."

My father's eyebrows knit together and I know he doesn't understand.

"Look, it's obvious that you aren't going to understand how our relationship works. There are plenty of people who have this type of relationship that are normal couples. You have my past stuck in your head, blocking your view of what it really is."

My father sighs and looks at the ground, thinking. "Was Liam a dominant?"

I'm startled by his question. "No." I'm being honest. "He's an abusive asshole. No true dominant would ever treat their submissive in that way."

He looks at me in the eye to see if I'm lying and I look straight back at him. He doesn't need to know that he classified himself as a dominant. It isn't my place to tell Ana's story. Finally, he nods.

"Okay. I'll talk to your mother about Friday and get back to you."

XxXxXx

After dinner, my mother let's me know that Friday works for her and so I sneak off, with the excuse that I need to use the restroom, to call Mr. Steele back one more time. When I finish, I head back towards the sitting room and Ana's no where to be found. Her pink flats are sitting next to the back door, so she couldn't have gone far.

"Mom? Where's Anastasia?" My mother smiles and points out the window, towards the meadow. I open the backdoor and see Anastasia making her way through the meadow, collecting wild flowers. Her flowy, pale yellow sundress is blowing in the wind and the sun is just beginning to set, the gold tones behind her making her look like an angel.

A grin forms on my face as I make my way toward my barefoot beauty.

She hears me coming and turns to smile at me.

"Ana? What are you doing?"

Her smile widens and she offers her hand. "Come with me."

I'm curious about where we are going, so I take her hand and she pulls me along the meadow, scooping up daisies as we go. My eyes are glued on the back of her. Her long, dark hair is blowing in the wind, the setting sun bringing out her natural highlights. Her pale yellow sundress with the pink roses is whisping around her knees as she makes her way through. Her bare feet are taking delicate steps in the cool grass, keeping her weight on the pads of her feet, her heels never touching the ground as if she's worried she might trample on one of the smaller, fragile flowers. She is the most beautiful thing I have ever set my eyes on. She's absolutely breathtaking.

She raises our arms over her head and spins herself, her dress twirling as she goes. She giggles lightly, but doesn't break step and continues on once she's straightened.

I chuckle and shake my head. _She's so fucking adorable._ I love seeing her like this. She's in her element.

Finally, her steps slow and I see an opening within the wildflowers-a patch of just grass. She releases my hand and takes a seat.

"Sit with me, Christian. Keep me company." Her blue eyes look up at me. They're the bluest I've ever seen them; they're smiling all on their own, without the help of her mouth. I've never seen her like this.

I give her a smile and nod, sitting down a couple feet away from her. I see her doing something with the flowers, but I'm not sure what. I watch her slender, feminine fingers work gently on the daisies in her lap.

"I love it out here." She mentions.

"You do?" My eyes leave her fingers to meet her eyes.

She nods and smiles, looking down at her work. "It's so peaceful. Nothing more so than this. I use to sneak out of the house while everyone was asleep. At night, I'd come to this spot and lay back and stare at the stars for hours." She looks up at orange sky and smiles.

"I never knew."

"No one did. No one does...until now." She looks at me and pink begins to tinge her cheeks.

"Your secret's safe with me, Anastasia."

"Will you watch the sunset with me?"

My heart swells at her question. Not only has she told me her secret, but she's shown me her secret spot, and now she wants to share the experience with me.

"I'd love to."

She smiles and continues her work on her flowers.

I rest my feet out in front of me and lean back on my hands, enjoying the view of the meadow with the water in the background, tinged orange from the setting sun. This really is incredible. I can't believe I've never taken the time to really enjoy this. I've added just one more item to my lists of wants for my new house. I need a meadow. It'll be Ana's meadow. I'll email the realtor in the morning. I need to find a place soon. I've unknowingly stifled Anastasia by keeping her locked up in an apartment in the sky. She belongs on the ground, here, in the middle of nature. It isn't fair to keep her at Escala. I'm now worried that she might be miserable there.

"There."

I turn my head to look at her and she rises to her knees, shuffling over to me, holding out a circle of daisies. She's tied them together. She lifts her hands and sets it on my head.

"Mio Re." _My king._

"Ana..." I am so in love with this girl. She pulls emotions out of me I didn't know were possible.

She sits back on her heels and takes a look at her handy work.

I have to admit I don't know much Italian, but I search my brain for something. Remembering something my father us to say to my mother, I sit up straight and cup her face.

"Bella Cara." _Beautiful darling._ I love the way it feels on the tongue.

Her face breaks out in a large smile and I lean in to kiss her lips. "I love you. So much." I tell her against her lips before pulling away.

"And I, you."

I open my legs and pull her over to me, settling her between them so we can watch the sunset.

While we watch, I keep pressing kisses to her hair and temple. I just can't get enough of her. At this point, I don't think I'd even be able to breathe without her.

"I wish everyday could be like this." She says quietly as the sun finally disappears and the meadow becomes dark.

I squeeze her against me one last time and press my lips to her hair. "I know, baby." _Soon._ Hopefully.

She sighs and uses my knees as leverage to push herself up. She brushes off her bottom while I stand and do the same.

"Will you carry me?"

"Of course I will." I turn away from her and lean down. "Come on spider monkey."

She giggles and hops on my back, wrapping her arms around my neck and I reach back and hook my arms under her legs, holding her in place.

On our way back, she nuzzles into my neck and breathes deeply, causing me to shiver. "I love your smell, Christian." She places a kiss on my pulse point and I turn my head so she can kiss me properly.

"Thank you for sharing this with me."

She nuzzles back into my neck. "You're welcome, Christian. I want to share everything with you."

I grin. "Me too, baby."

"Where have you guys been?" Elliot asks, suspicious, as we make our way back inside. I let Ana's legs go and she climbs off.

Elliot looks at me and does a double take. "And what the hell is on your head?"

I reach up, realizing I still have on my daisy crown and slip it off my head. Instead of throwing it away, though, I slip it into my pocket. I love it to much to throw away.

Anastasia rolls her eyes at my brother. "We are adults Elliot. We can come and go as we please."

He smiles at her. "Cheeky."

"Ana!" Kate hurries in, looking frazzled. Her hair has come out of it's holder and is falling all around her face. "I've been looking for you! I need your help; Mia is trying to convince me to let her wear a feather boa to the wedding!" She grabs her hand and begins to pull her towards the other room.

Anastasia laughs and pulls her hand back. "I'll be in, just give me a second."

Kate gives her a wide-eyed worried look before she disappears back into the dining room, pulling Elliot with her...which is probably not the best idea. My brother will probably just egg Mia on.

Anastasia faces me and takes my hand. "I guess it's back to reality, huh?"

I grin down at her. "Unfortunately."

"I won't be long. We'll go soon."

I nod. "I'm not worried." Leaning down, I kiss her deeply. I'm still on an emotional high.

"If the girls harass you too much, just give me a signal."

She giggles. "Are you going to come save me, Mr. Grey?"

I smile. "Always."

She nods in agreement. "Always."

 _I will always be her safe place._

XxXxXx

I finally make it to the bedroom to get ready for bed after practically having to pull Anastasia out of Kate and Mia's grasp at my mother's. I don't mind Anastasia spending time with them, but it was almost ten o'clock and we both have work in the morning and I want to get up to skim that contract once more before my meeting.

On the way to the bed I pull the crown out of my pocket and place it on the dresser so that it doesn't get damaged and make my way towards my side of the bed, unbuttoning my cuffs. I unclasp my watch and slip it off of my wrist.

"You kept it."

My head jerks up and I see Anastasia tracing one of the daisies with her index finger.

I place my watch on the nightstand. "Of course I did."

She smiles at me and makes her way over to the bed, climbing up and across on her knees, and doesn't stop until she's in front of me. She begins to unbutton my shirt, so I hold onto her hips and let her undress me. Once my shirt is on the floor, she moves to my belt and it isn't long until my trousers are around my ankles. I kick them off and reach for her bottom hem, pulling her sundress over her head.

I take in her beautiful body, naked, except for her pink lace panties. I see her begin to blush, so I wrap an arm around her and lay us down on the bed so that I'm covering her.

"You're beautiful." I kiss her lips, hoping to crush any doubts she has about herself, and continue my way down her body, kissing and nipping as I go. When I make it to her navel, her hands find my hair and she starts to massage my scalp.

"Make love to me, Christian."

I sigh against her stomach and nuzzle her. My thumbs find their way into her panties and I pull them down her legs before settling back between her legs. Her hair has grown out and I've found myself liking it. I've never had a woman with hair and no man has ever seen her with pubic hair. It's something new for both of us and I'm enjoying her natural beauty.

"Never shave this." I tell her, pulling lightly on it.

She looks down at me like I've grown an extra head, making my chuckle."I want you natural, baby."

I nuzzle into the hair at the apex of her thighs and love how surprisingly soft it is. My tongue comes out to swipe up the length of her slit and I'm rewarded with a gasp and her fingers pulling at my hair. Her legs open wider for me, making me grin.

"That's my girl." My mouth lowers to her center and I get to work.

I give her a smug grin when I get her coming less than a minute later. Her body reacts to me so willingly. I'll never get over it.

I slip off my boxer-briefs and kiss my way back up her body while she catches her breath and my lips find hers.

"Ready?"

She smiles. "Always."

I press myself into her and she grabs my shoulders.

"You feel so good, Christian."

I hum and nibble on her neck. "So do you."

Her legs wrap themselves around my waist and I keep my thrusts slow and steady.

"Christian..." Her legs tighten around me and she raises her hips. I know what she's asking.

I raise up on my hands and quicken my thrusts, thrusting hard into her.

She throws her head back. "Yes! Yes, Christian...mmm...so good, don't stop." her fingers grip into my shoulder blades and she pulls her knees up.

I grab them and sit back on my knees, pulling them over my shoulders as I continue. She reaches up and puts her palms flat against the fabric headboard to keep herself from moving up the bed while I fuck her.

"Harder, Christian...Please!"

"Harder?" I'm always surprised that this tiny thing wants it so rough.

"Yes!"

I reach down and wrap my arms around her, pulling her hips off the bed and plow into her. I feel her start to flutter, but I'm not there yet.

"Don't let go, Ana."

She whimpers and clamps her muscles around dick, trying to stop from coming, but I know it'll just throw her into an orgasm faster. The strong grip causes my dick to start twitching and I can feel my eyes roll back in my head.

"Fuck, Ana. Grip me tighter!"

Her muscles spasm and tighten and it sends both of us spiraling over the edge, loudly.

I collapse on top of her. I am completely spent. My hips and legs are laying on the bed between hers, my head is laying on her chest between her breasts, and one arm is trapped below both of us, around the small of her back. I close my eyes, taking deep steady breaths to lower my heart rate. We're both sticky, sweaty messes, but I can't help but wonder if she'd mind if I just dozed here for awhile. I'm surrounded by my Ana and have no reason to move.

A hand slips through my sweaty hair and she sighs deeply. "Goodnight, Christian."

I grin, refusing to open my eyes. "Goodnight, baby." I use all my energy to move my free hand and place it over her breast in front of me. _Mine._

I'm half asleep when I feel a bit of movement and the coolness of the sheet against my back, but I barely register what it is before I'm out.

 **A/N: I didn't want to put this at the beginning, because I didn't want to ruin anything, but I am dedicating the meadow scene to my niece, Becca, who passed away on December 17, 2016 in a car accident at 20 years old. She was a flower child who loved nature and would dance around in meadows and fields, making flower chains out of anything she could find...even dandelions. She's been on my mind constantly and looking through pictures that she took along the way of her crazy adventures really inspired that scene.**


	12. Meeting Mr Steele

This whole week, I've been in communication with my parents and Mr. Steele, going over the details of our trip to Georgia. Anastasia is still unaware that we're even going anywhere. It's Friday morning and I'm finding myself anxiously waiting for the clock to strike 5:00 am so that I can wake her. It's about a five hour flight to Georgia from here and we still need to get ready and have breakfast. I have already picked out her outfit for the day. I picked something special, that would go with a gift I bought her a few days ago.

The phone buzzes on the nightstand, signaling the 5:00 am wake up. I reach over to shut it off and rub Anastasia's back up and down.

"Ana...baby, it's time to get up."

I know she's going to be tired this morning. I tried to get her to bed early last night without giving anything away, but she didn't end up going to bed until after 11:00 pm. My girl has a habit of being cranky when she's tired, so I'll make sure she naps on the plane.

She groans and nuzzles deeper into my neck. "It's still dark. What time is it?"

I grin. "Five."

Her head rises off my shoulder and she looks at me through sleepy slits. "You've gone mad! We've two hours, still." Her head drops down to my chest and she tries to snuggle back into my body, but I rub her back roughly.

"Come on. We're getting up."

"I don't want to."

I chuckle. "How is it that only a month ago, you had no problem getting up at 5:00 am to go run and now, you're comatose?"

She giggles. "Bed is much more comfy with you in it."

A smile forms on my face. I completely understand. I haven't had any nightmares since she's been here. "I agree...but I've got a surprise for you today."

"You do?" Her head pops up again to look at me and I sweep her hair out of her face.

"Yes. I do."

"What is it?" She shuffles to sit up and I do the same, sitting back against the headboard.

"I'm taking you on a trip."

The room is pretty dark still, but it isn't hard to see her large, round eyes as she takes in the news. I laugh at her response.

"Where are we going?" She moves closer and straddles my lap. My hands automatically find her thighs and I rub them up and down lightly.

"It's a surprise...but my parents are going to join."

"Do they know?"

"Yes, they know where we're going."

Her lip pops out in a dramatic pout. "I want to know."

"None of that, Miss Steele. I promise you'll be very happy when we get there." I pull her closer and kiss her pout away.

"What should I pack?" I know she's looking for clues, but she's not getting any.

"It's already taken care of."

A large smile forms on her face. "You packed for me?"

"Gail packed."

Her smile disappears quickly. "Okay." She nods.

"I gave her a list of what to pack, though. You just need to pack your toiletry and makeup."

Her smile returns. "You picked out my clothes?"

 _Ah..._ now I understand her disappointment. "Yes, baby. I'll always take care of you."

"And you'll wash me?" _Needy little thing today._

I give her a knowing smile. "Don't I always?"

"Not on weekdays..."

I chuckle. "Consider this a long weekend, Ana."

She leans in and presses her lips to mine. "Good."

"Up you get." If we hurry, I can fuck her in the shower before we leave. I have a feeling there won't be any of that in Georgia.

XxXxXx

For Anastasia, I've picked out a vintage mint green dress with white flowers and white cloth Louboutins to match. I can't wait to see how it looks with the gift I've gotten her. After we shower and dress, I leave her to finish her makeup while I retrieve her gift out of my office.

When I make my way back to Anastasia, I see that she's just finishing up with her makeup.

She looks at me through the mirror and smiles. "I'm packing up my makeup now and then we can have breakfast."

I nod. "I want to show you something first."

She turns sideways in her chair to see me and I kneel down beside her chair, holding out the flat, Tiffany blue box with a white satin bow.

"Christian!" She gasps and covers her mouth. "What-what is it?"

I chuckle. "Open it and find out."

I hold it out for her and she takes it, pulling on the satin bow. She opens the top of the box and places it on the vanity before moving the tissue paper away. I watch her face as she takes in the necklace that is sitting in the box.

Her eyebrows knit together, her eyes begin to water and her head turns to the side as she stares at it.

"Oh, Christian." Her eyes meet mine and a tear falls. I quickly wipe it away. "Thank you."

She is so touched by my gift that it almost makes me choke up. I blink a few times and smile at her. "You are very welcome, baby."

"Will you put it on?"

I smile at her and stand, taking the pearls out of the box. I stand behind her to fasten the delicate strand and I go up four pearls so that the choker is fits snugly against her neck. I press my lips along her neck right below the strand and feel her shiver. My eyes find hers through the mirror, and even in the reflection they're dark. I give her a small smile and kiss her shoulder.

She turns towards me and kisses me hard before slipping her hand into mine. She guides me around to the front of her chair, between the vanity and her.

"Have a seat, Christian. I want to thank you properly."

 _Oh, fuck me._

I sit as requested and she works on my bottoms quickly, releasing my erection. I watch her as she pushes my legs apart and slides her chair closer. My hands grip the edge of the vanity, readying myself for that tight little mouth.

Her mouth lowers onto me and my head falls back with a moan, but I quickly pick it back up so I can watch her work me.

"That's it, baby." I moan and grip the back of her neck over her choker. "You feel so good."

Her eyes smile up at me as she continues to bob up and down. It doesn't take long before I'm shooting down her throat and she sucks me dry, cleaning me off before releasing me.

"Shit, Ana..." I'm still slumped against the vanity, my back against the mirror, while I recuperate.

She giggles at me and kisses my lips. "I love being yours." Her fingers skate over the choker on her neck and she beams.

I sit up straight and pull her to me. "All mine." I kiss her hard and release her.

"It looks beautiful on you." I tell her, eyeing the jewelry on her neck as I tuck myself back into my trousers. "You'll look even better with these." I pull two more pouches out of my pocket and open the first one, letting the bracelet fall into my hand before reaching for her left wrist.

"Christian..."

I clasp it onto her wrist and lean down to kiss her. "Unless the next thing coming out of your mouth is a thank you, I don't want to hear it. You deserve it and I want you to have them. End of story."

Her face breaks out into a guilty smile and she nods. "Thank you, sir."

I chuckle. "You're welcome."

I slide the pearl earrings out of the last pouch and work the studs out of her ears before replacing them with the pearls.

I take a step back and look at her. "Beautiful." I am so glad she wore her hair up.

She smiles at me and reaches up to touch her ears.

"Let's get some breakfast, baby. My parents will be here soon."

I offer her my hand and she takes it willingly, squeezing herself against me.

XxXxXx

"Christian, may I have my ticket?" Anastasia asks when we're almost to the airport.

I can hear my father chuckle in the third row and I grin, looking back. My mother is stifling her smile behind her hand. Anastasia turns to look at them with a confused look on her face.

"You won't need a ticket, Anastasia." I know the main reason why she asked was to see where we were going.

"Why not?"

I grin at her. "Because I own my own plane."

Her eyes widen for a split second, but she shakes her head, shaking off her surprise. "Of course you do." She sits back in her seat and sighs. I don't know if she's annoyed that she still doesn't know where we are headed or if she's embarrassed that she hadn't thought of it before.

We sit in silence a couple minutes and the airport comes into view.

"Christian? How many properties do you own?"

I've got her mind reeling now. I'm sure she's interested to know what other types of luxuries I have at my disposal.

"Five."

"Five?"

"Yes, but I've become interested in another."

Her eyebrow raises in curiosity and she sits up straight. "Have you? What is it?"

I smile knowingly. "Another time, perhaps." I nod towards the front of the SUV. "We're here."

Our doors open and we both slide out, my parents climbing out behind us. Anastasia and I meet at the front of the car and I hold out my hand for her to take. She takes it, but I see that she doesn't take her eyes off the beauty in front of us. It's one of my many pride and joys and I can feel my pride swelling as Anastasia looks on, impressed.

I release her hand and escort her by the small of her back, so that I can be closer to her. Anastasia stays quiet and I can feel her body tensing more and more, the closer we get to the group of people by my plane.

"Ah, Mr. Grey! Right on time! Nice to see you, sir! I trust you're doing well?" Gary Rochester, the owner of the small company I pay to take care of my plane, greets me. Of course he'd make an appearance on the day I plan to be here. I take in his cheap suit and can smell his cheap cologne as I shake his hand. He might have a terrible wardrobe, but his company has done a great job at keeping my plane, so I'll overlook it.

"Yes, thank you, Mr. Rochester. Is she all set?" I look up at my bird, a bit anxious to get moving.

"Please, call me Gary...and yes, she's all set. Just had her cleaned and detailed this morning and she just came back from a test flight. Everything is in tip top condition."

I give him a nod and see him eyeing Anastasia. I'm sure he's surprised to see a woman on my arm, and I can't say I'm surprised by his reaction.

"Mr. Rochester, this is my girlfriend, Anastasia Steele." I stick with his last name. Although, I trust him with my plane, I don't want to become anymore than a client. "Ana, baby...Mr. Rochester is the owner of the company that keeps my plane."

She smiles up at him and offers her hand. "Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Rochester."

"Pleasure's all mine, Miss Steele."

 _Oh, for fuck's sake!_ "Come, Anastasia. I'd like to show you the interior."

She takes my hand and he takes a step back to allow us up the stairs. I hear him greeting my parents, but I leave them to it. _As long as he leaves my girlfriend alone._

When we make it to the top of the stairs, we are greeted by a blonde woman, who tells us her name is Brittany. She'll be our attendant today. _Whatever._ Get on with it.

I give Anastasia a tour of the plane, showing her the cockpit first, then the attendants station, the lounge area with the chairs and couch and then lastly, the bedroom.

"Oh...you have a bed?"

"Yes, I find it quite useful when I need to travel overseas."

She gives me a small nod, staring at the bed.

"What's wrong?"

"How many...women have been in your plane, Christian?"

"Besides my family and coworkers?"

She nods and looks up at me.

"You, and Elena are the only others."

She wrinkles her nose and looks back at the bed like she wishes she could set fire to it with just her eyes.

"I haven't joined the mile high club, Anastasia...at least not yet."

Her lips twitch into a smile and I nudge her with my elbow. "Come, we'll depart in a few minutes." I shut the door behind us and guide her to a set of chairs that are facing one another.

"Have a seat, baby."

Once she is sat, I buckle her in tight and kiss her lips. I can feel my dick starting to stir. It's been awhile since I've tied her up. By the look in her eye, it looks like she's thinking the same. _Well, it'll have to wait a few days._

My parents get comfortable on the couch across from us and find their seat belts while the pilot comes to introduce himself. It's a fucker I've never met, but Taylor has looked into him and his record is strong, so I'm not too worried. Finally, Taylor and Sawyer make their way onto the plane, sitting in the two other seats closer to the door.

Anastasia swivels around and looks at them before turning back to me. "They're coming?"

"Of course they are. They're our security." _This is why I pay them._

"So, where are the other two for your parents?" Her eyebrow raises and I find myself wanting to pull her challenging ass over my knee so I can spank her.

"We'll be together this weekend, Anastasia. We don't need the bulk of extra people." I eye her and I see her begin to roll her eyes but she closes them to refrain. My palm twitches.

"Sassy today, Miss Steele. We'll have to take care of that."

Her eyes widen and flick over to my parents, who I'm sure are watching, before they return to me.

"It seems the lack of sleep is making you irritable, Anastasia. You'll nap on the plane."

"But-"

"But nothing."

She sighs and slumps in her chair, defeated. "Yes, Christian."

"I'll cuddle you, Ana."

A grin forms on her face and I wink at her.

"Okay. We'll nap." She states, nodding.

Once we have departed and the pilot states that it is safe to move, I unbuckle myself and tell Anastasia to come sit on my lap.

She looks uncertain, but she unbuckles herself and comes to sit on my lap, looking over her shoulder at me.

"We're supposed to sleep like this?" Her eyebrow shoots up. "Comfy, Chris-AH!" I hit the lever on my chair, causing us to recline, and effectively scaring my mouthy girl.

"Sarcasm doesn't suit you, Anastasia." I tell her dryly, and spank her lightly, making her narrow her eyes at me. I ignore it. "Is this comfy enough for you, Anastasia?"

She doesn't refrain from her eye roll this time, and rolls her eyes dramatically. "Sarcasm doesn't suit you, either, _sir._ "

I'm about to retort about her sassy mouth, but get stopped by a giggle from my mother. We both look over at her and she covers her mouth with her hand, trying to stop herself.

"I'm sorry, dears, but your bickering has got to be the sweetest thing I've ever encountered. Is this honestly how you fight?"

I open my mouth to tell my mother that we don't fight, but I'm interrupted again by another giggle. This time it's from Anastasia.

"Are we really that pathetic?" Anastasia asks. _Pathetic? Really?_

"Oh, no, Ana! It's quite the opposite...endearing really."

Anastasia looks back at me and grins, pecking my lips. "I'm sorry I'm sassy."

I grin. "I don't mind a little Ana sass." I realize how the comment came out and grin as Anastasia turns crimson. "I don't mind any of that, either..."

"Christian! No need to be crude!" My mother chastises me, but she's smiling. I think she's enjoying all of this.

"Sorry, Mom." I humor her and pull Anastasia down, forcing her to cuddle with me, and hold my arms out, waiting for her to get settled. I'll never understand why it takes her so fucking long to get comfortable. Finally, she sighs and relaxes into me.

"Settled?"

"Settled." She confirms.

I wrap my arms around her and feel her cold forearms. "BRITTANY!"

Anastasia jumps straight in the air when I yell for her and I kiss her hair apologetically.

"Yes, sir?" Brittany pops up from the front.

"Get Miss Steele a blanket."

She nods and disappears into the back bedroom. She returns less than a minute later with a throw and hands it to me.

"How is this, sir?"

I nod. "It'll suffice. Thank you."

Once Anastasia takes another minute to get comfortable, I drape the throw over both of us.

"Now sleep."

I hear her giggle against my neck and she kisses my jaw line. "I love you, Christian."

A grin forms on my face. "I love you, too."

XxXxXx

"Mr. Grey...Mr. Grey..." I open my eyes and am met by Brittany, shaking me awake. I blink a few times and clear my throat.

"Yes?"

"Lunch will be served in a few minutes, sir."

I nod my understanding and she disappears back up front. _Why the fuck couldn't my parents wake me?_

My answer comes when I look over at the couch and see them curled up together, napping. I use to think they were crazy for being all over each other constantly, but now I understand. I hate being away from Anastasia.

I look down at my sleeping girl and grin. She had wanted to fight me on having to take a nap and here she is still sleeping. I stretch my back, making it pop and I hear her mumble in her sleep.

"Ana...lunch is almost ready." I rub her back up and down to wake her.

"Kay." She answers, but makes no attempt to move or even open her eyes.

I pat her backside a few times, waking her further.

Her eyes flutter open and she blinks a few times, getting use to the light of the day through our windows.

"There she is."

She grins and begins to sit up, so I hit the lever on the chair to sit us both up.

She stretches and yawns and gives me a sleepy smile. "That was the best nap I think I've ever had."

I chuckle. "Good. Are you hungry?"

"A bit."

"Lunch is coming. Club sandwiches alright?" I don't know why I'm asking. That's all we've got.

"Sounds perfect." She stands and fixes her dress and hair before taking a seat in the chair across from me.

She looks over at my parents and back at me. "Should we wake them?"

"I'm up." My father answers, but his eyes are still closed. "I heard the word lunch."

My mother laughs and sits up, untangling herself from my father. "That selective hearing works even in sleep, I see."

XxXxXx

After lunch is over, we only have an hour before we touch down, so we lower the window covers so that Anastasia cannot see where we land. Ana was not too happy about this, but I promised her it would be worth it.

Finally, we land and my parents exit the plane while I blindfold Anastasia. My dick starts to swell as I blindfold her and I press myself into her backside as I do. A grin forms on her face and she pushes back against me.

"Ready?" I ask her once it's secured.

"Christian...I can't go down those stairs blindfolded."

She's got a point. She'll nosedive and break her neck. I pick her up, making her squeal and grab onto my neck, and make my way towards the exit.

"It's hot." Anastasia mentions. _Holy fuck_ she isn't kidding! Not only is it hot, but humid as hell. I squint in the sunlight and make my way down the stairs, wishing I would have put my sunglasses on first.

Once I've carried her over to my parents, I set her down and move to take off her blindfold.

"Are you ready?"

She shimmies in her spot, excited. "Yes! Take it off, Christian!"

I drop the blindfold from her eyes and she squeals.

"DADDY!" She practically knocks him over as she plows into him.

Mr. Steele laughs and hugs his daughter. "Nice to see you, too, sweet pea."

 _Sweet pea?_

His gaze leaves Ana and he looks straight at me. _Oh, fuck._ His brown eyes are tearing into my gray ones; if looks could kill, I'd be a goner.

He looks like one of those fathers that sit around, cleaning his gun while his daughter is out on a date. He looks rough around the edges, his frown lines are deep, and his voice is deep and scratchy...like he's smoked a pack a day his whole life. I know he's an ex-Marine and he happens to be the only man that actually scares the shit out of me. Even if I wasn't fucking his daughter, I probably wouldn't want to be in a room alone with him. I've never paid much attention to him before. I had only seen him in passing a few times before I left home for good, but I swear he looks even rougher and meaner than he did nine years ago.

"Daddy...you've been smoking again." Anastasia pulls away from his hug and puts her hands on her hips.

His cold, hard glare leaves me and softens immediately, returning to Anastasia. "I know, sweet pea. I'm trying."

Her head cocks to the side, regarding him and her hands relax at her sides. "Where's Mom?"

"She's at work. She'll be home soon." Mr. Steele's eyes flick back over to me again and Anastasia turns around, remembering.

"Oh! Daddy..." She holds her hand out to me and I step up and take it. "This is Christian Grey. Christian, this is my father, Raymond Steele."

I offer my free hand to him. "Nice to finally meet you properly, Mr. Steele."

"Finally?" He questions and I inwardly cringe at my choice of wording. He grasps my hand in his and I force myself not to wince when his callused hand tries to crush mine. I shake his firmly and look him right in the eye. I know he's trying to size me up.

"Christian." He states after holding my gaze for a few seconds. _Is this really going to be a pissing contest between her father and boyfriend?_ "You know the only thing saving you is that you're Carrick's son." He growls out and my eyebrows shoot up on their own accord.

"Daddy...be nice." Anastasia places her hand on his bicep.

He finally releases my hand and his eyes travel down to my other hand that is still linked to Ana's and he raises an eyebrow. I release her hand immediately and I see my father shaking with silent laughter behind Mr. Steele. _My own father thinks this is fucking funny... Asshole._ How the fuck am I going to ask this man what I've come here to?

Anastasia moves towards her father and takes his hand, swinging his body around, and starts to walk towards the gate. I see her mouth moving, but she must be whispering because I can't hear a damn thing she's saying. They both stop and look back at me for a moment, before they start walking again. _Just fucking great._ They're talking about me.

My parents follow them and then security, so I finally get my ass in gear and catch up to the rest of them.

XxXxXx

By the time we get to the Steele's residence, her mother is home and Ana introduces us.

"Mom, you remember Christian don't you?" Ana asks as her mother eyes me up and down.

"Yes...in passing. Nice to see you, Christian. I'm Carla."

I shake her hand and smile, glad that she isn't going to be a struggle like Mr. Steele is. "Likewise, Mrs. Steele. I can see where Anastasia gets her beauty." I'm not lying. They look very similar.

Mrs. Steele giggles and blushes and I know I've got her. "You are so sweet. Please call me Carla."

My mother greets Carla and I can see that it's forced with both women. _Well isn't that interesting._ I wonder if they didn't get along while living in Washington.

"Christian, would you like something to drink? I need some water."

My attention turns back to my girl and I tuck a loose tendril of hair behind her ear. "We'll share."

As she walks off, I watch Carla eye the back of Anastasia before her eyes land on her shoes and she frowns.

I've seen that look before. _Jealousy._ This better not become a fucking problem for Ana.

I watch as Mr. Steele separates from my father and makes his way over to his wife. He grips her chin between his thumb and forefinger and pulls her head down and to the side before whispering into her ear.

My heart jumps in my chest and I look away quickly. _Holy shit._

After meeting him, I shouldn't be surprised about him commanding respect and submission like that. I'm starting to understand Anastasia even more. If he ran a tight household like this, no wonder Anastasia went AWOL after they left...and no wonder she chooses the relationship she does.

Anastasia returns with a bottle of water and I plaster a smile on my face as she hands it to me.

"Thank you, baby."

XxXxXx

After spending a very long afternoon and dinner, mainly listening to our father's speak while my own father tries to talk me up to Ana's, we carry our bags up to her room. Although I appreciate my father's effort, it ended up sounding like he was bragging and now I think her parents hate me even more. I really can't wait to curl up in bed with my girl and get some sleep.

When we enter her room, I'm surprised by what I see. The room is blue and yellow and there are books everywhere. What is surprising though, is that there is Beauty And The Beast memorabilia all over the room. _Didn't they just move a few years ago?_

Seeing my face, Anastasia giggles. "My father set up my room like it was in Washington." She takes a Belle doll off the shelf and straightens its clothes. "I told him I was much too old for this, but he insists." She puts the doll back on the shelf and shrugs.

A large smile forms on my face. "You like Beauty And The Beast?"

She rolls her eyes and I grunt at it, making her smirk and blush. "Any fairytale really, but Belle was my favorite. You know...with her love for books and being a bit quiet and odd to others." She pulls out an old copy of the book and shakes it in front of me. "I don't know how many times I've read this. The pages are falling out. I've taped them in, but I'm afraid it's no use. I don't read it anymore, but I can't seem to part with it." I watch her run her fingers over the front and return it to its home on the bookshelf.

"It means a lot to you." I step towards her and wrap my arms around her waist. It's more of a statement than a question, but she still nods in reply and looks up at me with wide, blue eyes.

 _Oh, fuck me._

"Annie?"

Both of our heads jerk towards the door, where Mr. Steele is standing. My dick deflates instantly.

"What are you doing?" He raises an eyebrow at his daughter.

"I was just showing Christian my room before we got ready for bed."

His gaze turns towards me and becomes hard. "I'd appreciate it if you'd respect my house and not feel up my daughter."

My hands drop to the side and I take a step back from her. I hate that he affects me so much. If it were any other fucker, I'd tell them to fuck off, but I can't. I have to spend three nights living by his rules.

"I mean no disrespect, sir."

He gives me a tight nod and looks at my luggage on the floor. "Get your clothes and come with me. Mrs. Steele has made the bed on the pull out couch for you."

"Daddy!" Anastasia makes to move, but he puts his hand up, effectively stopping her.

"Now, sweet pea...you know the rules."

She huffs and he gives her a look that makes her drop her head. "Sorry, Daddy."

"It's alright. Christian...come." He turns to leave and I'm sure that my eyes are about to pop out of my head. He just gave me a command and my brain and body are conflicted.

"Can't I say goodnight to Christian first?"

He turns and his gaze flicks back and forth between the two of us before he puts two fingers up. "Two minutes."

He turns and leaves and I realize my mouth is still hanging open. I clamp it shut and before I can even turn towards Anastasia, her arms are around my waist and her head is in my chest.

"I am so sorry about my father." Her voice is muffled in my shirt, but she sounds like she's on the verge of tears. I hold her tight and kiss her hair. "Please tell me he hasn't scared you away."

I chuckle and reach up to cup her face, forcing her to look at me. "Nothing could scare me away."

She gives me a shy smile and I kiss her. "I love you."

"I love you." She sighs. "I hate this. I won't get any sleep."

I hold her to me and rub her back. "Try, okay? It's only a few days. I'll be right downstairs if you need anything."

"TIME'S UP!" Anastasia startles in my arms as her father's voice carries up the stairs and into the room.

"You better go." She leans up and kisses me again.

I nod. "Wouldn't want to make him any angrier."

She shakes her head. "Definitely not."

I kiss her once more and grab my bag, making my way towards the door.

"Sleep tight, baby." I turn and look at her once more before shutting the door behind me.

This _is going to be the longest fucking weekend of my life._


	13. Confronting Ray

I didn't sleep well last night. The pull out couch is uncomfortable, I was missing Anastasia, and too worried I'd embarrass myself with having a nightmare. I wish I would have just stuck us all in a hotel; instead, Taylor and Sawyer were the only two booked for it. _Lucky bastards._

I hear my parents in the kitchen and I stand and stretch before heading towards the kitchen. Along the way, I hear footsteps on the stairs and look up to see Anastasia making her way down slowly, rubbing her eyes. She's wearing my hoodie and a hair of shorts. Her hair is all over the place and tangled, her face is swollen and tired, and her lips are pulled down into a frown.

"What happened to you?" I ask, half-amused.

Realizing I'm standing here, a smile forms on her face and she wraps her arms around me and buries her head in my chest. "I got in a fight with the bed...and the bed won."

I chuckle and hold her to me with one arm while the other hand tries to calm the rats nest that's become her hair. "Couldn't sleep?"

She shakes her head and I give up on trying to smooth her hair.

"Me either." I lift her chin with my index finger so she'll look up at me. I don't like seeing those dark circles under her eyes. "Hungry?"

She shrugs.

"You must eat, Anastasia. Breakfast is important. Come, let's see what there is." I offer my hand and she takes it and we make our way into the kitchen.

"Ana? Are you sick, honey?" Carla comes running over, checking her forehead and Anastasia giggles.

"No, Mom. I didn't sleep very well, is all."

Carla reaches up and tries to do the same as I did, smoothing her hair.

"What's for breakfast?" Ana asks, moving towards the counter. I know she's trying to get her mother to stop fussing over her.

I join my parents at the table and my mother pours me a glass of orange juice. Ana and Carla carry over breakfast and Anastasia looks around the room.

"Where's Daddy?"

"He had to go into the office to deal with one of his carpenters."

Anastasia smirks. "So, he's not here?"

"No." Carla looks at her confused.

Anastasia plops down right in my lap, making me laugh, and begins to dish food into our plates.

"Oh, honestly Anastasia! You're going to sit like that the whole time we eat?"

"Yep." She answers, biting off a piece of bacon.

Carla looks at me and I shrug, indicating I that I don't mind and not willing to move her. I position Anastasia so that she's sitting on one of my legs. Now, I can use my right arm to eat, while the other is wrapped around her small waist.

I watch what she eats closely and am glad to see her eat a good amount. When everyone starts moving around to clean their plates from the table, I use it to my advantage.

"Thank you for eating breakfast, Anastasia."

She looks over her shoulder at me and smiles bashfully at me.

"Are you my good girl?"

She blushes and bites her bottom lip. "Yes, sir."

I chuckle and kiss her.

I hear a car door and Anastasia bolts out of my lap and grabs our plates, taking them to the sink. _Well that didn't last long._ I'm sick of this sneaking around shit already. I don't want to make Mr. Steele an enemy, but I can't deal with this overprotective father shit. She's an adult and can make her own decisions. She's chosen me and I will take care of her; there is no need for him to throw his weight around. I'll trample if I have to. I'll play nice this morning and see if he's going to be less domineering with us today.

Mr. Steele comes through the kitchen door and grins when he sees Anastasia.

"Rough night, sweet pea?" He pulls her in for a hug and she relaxes against him, nodding.

"Terrible night."

"Ah, well I'm sure it's just jet lag. Tonight will be better."

 _Yea...if we sleep together._

XxXxXx

I'm sitting at the table with security, Carla, and my parents going over our plans for the day when Anastasia comes into the kitchen in a white sundress with blue flowers. She's carrying a jean jacket and strappy white heels and my first thought is to lay her over this table.

I shake my head, clearing my mind. _The weekend from hell._ Not only do I have to deal with her overbearing, controlling father...but I'm not allowed to be close to her, let alone touch her, and definitely not going to be sinking myself into her until we get home. I might have to rub one out in the shower. I'm not use to this abstinence shit.

I haven't tested Mr. Steele yet this morning and I wonder if he'll be more open to me holding her now.

"Well, look at you. Dresses two days in a row? Have you finally retired all of those jeans?" Ray asks Ana, playfully.

My heart sinks. I really didn't think about him realizing Ana's change in wardrobe. Everything that was brought from her apartment to Escala that wasn't workwear was jeans, t-shirts, cardigans, and sweaters. This better not make him fucking hate me. She looks beautiful in the dresses I have bought her... _plus, it gives me easy access._

She wrinkles her nose and gives him a look, making him laugh. "Christian picked it. Isn't it cute?" She twirls.

I expect a scowl from Mr. Steele, but he doesn't even look my way.

"Adorable, sweet pea."

She beams up at him and I frown. Any time I compliment her she becomes shy and blushes. She's confident around her father, but self-conscious around me. I don't like this. I want her beaming at me when I tell her how beautiful she looks.

She makes her way toward the table and drops her jacket and shoes into an empty chair, before looking at me.

"Will you braid my hair, Christian?" She's holding out a brush and a hair tie.

"Of course I will."

She takes the seat next to me and turns away from me so that I can fix her hair.

"Christian...where did you learn to braid?" My mother is looking at me curiously.

My hands slow and stop. _I guess I should be honest._ "I use to braid the crack whore's hair."

I refuse to take my eyes off the back of Ana's head, not wanting to see my parent's faces, and begin to braid again.

"I'm sorry, darling. I never knew." My mother is upset that she's brought her up, but I just shrug in reply.

"Don't be."

When I finish, I smooth her hair down, making sure everything stays in place.

"Ana, your hair is so shiny. What shampoo are you using?" Carla asks.

Anastasia's eyebrows knit together. "Um...I'm not sure. Christian? What kind of shampoo do we use at home?"

There is the sound of breaking glass and we all turn to see Mr. Steele standing there, his glass broken on the counter.

"You're living together?!" His face is murderous red, the vein in his forehead popping out, and I'm suddenly worried he might have a heart attack right in the middle of the kitchen.

"Dad-" He puts his hand up, silencing Anastasia and turns, stomping out of the kitchen door, slamming it behind him.

We cringe at the sound and Anastasia jumps up to go after her father in the garage.

Everyone looks at me and I rub my face with both hands before pulling on my hair. _What a fucking clusterfuck._

We sit in silence, listening to the muffled sounds of Ana and Mr. Steele. I hear Anastasia raising her voice, although I can't understand what is being said and then Mr. Steele's bass voice before the door swings open, Ana comes stomping through in tears, and slams it behind her. She runs off before I can stop her and I find myself in the kitchen, staring at the door to the garage.

He's made Anastasia cry and I will trample all over him. He looks like a strong fucker. I might not make this out unscathed, but I'm going to try. _Reason with him first, Grey._

I clear my throat and straighten myself before taking the doorknob, turning it slowly. I stick my head out and see Mr. Steele rummaging through his blue Snap-On tool box. I take the three steps down to the garage floor and shut the door behind me, the sound making him aware of my presence.

He looks over his shoulder. "You."

"Mr. Steele...if I could just have a word..." _Calm. Stay calm. Controlled._

He shakes his head. "No, you need to listen to me." He moves a car battery off of a plastic chair and points at it. "Sit."

I'm not in a position to argue _yet_ , so I make my way toward him slowly and sit.

He wipes his hands on a red shop towel and throws it back in his tool box, before leaning against an old 50's truck he must be working on.

"When Annie mentioned you two were seeing each other, I knew I'd be meeting you soon. I always set strict rules in my house. When you called, stating you wanted to come to Savannah, I thought you were coming here to tell me that you wanted to become serious and court her...ask for my blessing...but now I find out you're already living together. You snuck right past my nose, Christian. I don't know if you are aware, but my Annie is a very sensitive girl."

"I am aware, sir."

"She isn't the type that you can have your fun with and throw away. If you hurt her, I will hurt you. I don't care how much money you have, who you have to protect you. I will find a way to get to you and I guarantee you will regret it for the rest of your life."

 _I don't doubt that._ "I might not have come here to ask permission to court her, but I _have_ come here to ask for her hand."

His whole body stills and becomes rigid. "Marriage?"

I nod. "I love Anastasia more than I've ever loved anyone...or anything. You wouldn't have to hurt me if I hurt her, because just having to live without her would be torture. I need Ana. My life was perpetual darkness until this summer. Before Ana...I never really respected or appreciated women in general. My mother, the exception, of course. Spending one evening with Anastasia changed my outlook, not only on women, but on life, itself. I don't know how much my father told you about me, but I was angry and bitter and miserable. Even though my business was thriving and I had more money than I knew what to do with, I was hollow and unhappy. Just looking at Anastasia fills my chest with hope and happiness. She breathes life into me just by being. I'm not stupid enough to let her go. I respect your daughter and I love her. I will keep her safe no matter what the cost and spend every second of my life trying to make her happy. I want to marry her."

When I'm finished, the garage is quiet, and I can see the cogs in his brain working. I keep myself in control and stay quiet until he decides to break the silence.

"You know...Annie was our miracle baby."

 _What?_ "Oh?" _What the fuck?_

He nods. "Her mother and I tried for years to conceive, without any luck. We had all, but given up on the idea of having a child. Then, six months later, Carla comes running into my office at work, holding a pregnancy test high in the air." He shakes his head and laughs, recalling the memory. "It was a hard pregnancy, she was on bed rest for most of it. She had something that caused the placenta to tear away from the lining, or something of the sort. I had to take off a lot of work to take care of her and we barely had enough to pay the bills, let alone buy things for a new baby, but we managed somehow. In her seventh month, she went into preterm labor and was bleeding all over the fucking place. I called the ambulance, but she passed out before they even made it to the house. I almost lost both of them. After weeks in the hospital and multiple blood transfusions, Carla was finally able to come home...but our little Annie...she didn't get to come home until she was six months old. I spent every day in that hospital praying and holding her."

The thought of Anastasia not being here makes me sick to my stomach.

He shakes his head. "Anyway, Annie turned out fine and got to come home on her half birthday. Since the second Carla ran into my office with that ridiculous stick, I have been very protective of my girls...overly protective. I'm having a hard time with the fact that Anastasia is growing up. She's an adult now and I'll have to learn to deal with that, but right now I can't give you an answer. I don't know you and I haven't seen you two together to know if this marriage is a good idea."

 _Fuck._ "Sir...you haven't allowed us the chance."

He chuckles and looks up at the ceiling. "I guess that's true." His gaze returns to me. "I'll release the reigns a little if you promise to be respectful."

I nod eagerly. "Yes, sir." This is going much better than anticipated. I can deal with this Mr. Steele.

"You'll have your answer by Sunday evening." He states, going back to his toolbox, digging around.

"Thank you."

He grunts in response and that tells me he's finished. I hop up to find my girl.

I re-enter the kitchen, grinning like an idiot and continue towards the hall and up the stairs to Ana's room.

I can deal with this new agreement. He thought I was here to ask to _court_ her. _Ridiculous._ No wonder he was giving us such a hard time; he was trying to weed out the weak. I actually laugh out loud at this. At least now he knows how serious I am about Anastasia. She could never be a fling for me. She's my world; the most important thing.

I find myself quickening my steps the closer I get to her; I need her in my arms. When I reach her room, I open the door and see her sitting at the window seat, her knees drawn up against her chest.

I shut the door behind me and on the click, she spins her head around with a glare on her face. Seeing that it's me, her face softens.

"Christian!"

I sit next to her and wipe a tear off her face.

"What happened?" I ask her, wanting to know what she said that changed his attitude.

She shrugs. "He was angry at me and said that I wasn't acting like the little girl he knows and I told him that I'm not a little girl anymore. I told him I'm an adult and can make adult decisions and that I was in love with you." She sniffles and wipes at her eyes. "Well, that sent him thermonuclear and he acted like a baboon throwing things around the garage and said how disappointed in me he was and how stupid I was acting for allowing myself to fall in love with someone like you."

My eyebrows knit together. "Someone like me? What does that mean?"

She shrugs. "I don't know. I told him you were a good man, that you take great care of me...but he didn't want to listen, so I left."

I reach over and pull her against me, trying to comfort her.

"I spoke to him."

She looks up at me, surprised. "You did?"

I nod. "Evidently, what you said helped, because he promised to loosen the reigns and let us be together while we're here."

She smiles up at me. "Thank you."

I chuckle. "Well...I did it more for my benefit than yours." I tease.

She scowls at me, but ruins it with her grin.

"Let's keep the PDA to a minimum, though, okay? I don't think your father's heart could handle seeing much of that."

She giggles and nods. "Yes, I agree. Thank you for fixing everything, Christian."

"I'll always make things better. It's my responsibility, Miss Steele."

"Yes, sir." Her eyes darken and her lips meet mine.

There's a knock on the door and we pull apart just as Mr. Steele opens the door.

"Annie...can I have a word?"

I release her waist and stand, taking my leave. They need some privacy to talk things through.

XxXxXx

I've rented out a small area on the beach of Tybee Island for us to spend the day. We've got cabanas, umbrellas, and staff to bring us drinks and food while we play and the best part is that it's private, so we won't be having people trample all over our part of the beach.

We all clamber out of the two SUV's that Taylor and Sawyer have driven and make our way towards the water. My Ana has decided to wear a floral tank bikini and I need to get sunscreen on her fair skin ASAP. I guide her over to one of the bed cabanas and tell her to lie on her stomach while I pull the fabric closed on three sides of the cabana so that we're in complete shade. I rummage through our beach bag until I find her Coppertone and begin to lather her down. I've had Gail pack two new bottles just in case. I'd never forgive myself if we didn't have enough and her skin became damaged.

The open side looks right out into the water and it's beautiful out. I'm excited to enjoy a day on the beach with my girl.

"Okay, flip."

She turns on her back and relaxes back against the pillow while I start on the front of her legs.

"What do we have here?"

I turn my head and see Ray standing at the opening of our cabana, looking in. My first thought is to stop, but I force myself to continue to lather her legs.

"Just lathering Anastasia so she won't shrivel up in the sun." My joke is weak.

"And she can't do it herself?"

"This way, I know nothing's been missed."

I look at him in the eye and he stares at me for a second and then nods. _That was easier than I thought it'd be._

He hangs around and we both look at him while I start rubbing down her stomach.

"Any extra?" He asks rubbing the back of his neck. "Carla seems to have forgotten hers."

I smile and nod towards the bag. "There's a brand new bottle."

Anastasia looks up at me and grins while he ransacks our bag.

He finds what he's looking for and stands back up, looking back at me for a second.

"Thanks." He grunts.

"Welcome."

Once he leaves, Ana squeals and grabs the back of my neck, pulling me in for a kiss. "What did you say to him this morning?"

I chuckle and shrug, continuing with her chest, neck, and arms.

"Well, whatever you said...it seems like he's warming up to you."

"I hope so."

"Christian...he really is a great man...I know it doesn't seem like it. He's never seen me with a man before and he..." She trails off, looking for a proper word.

"Went apeshit?"

She giggles. "Yes. Once he sees how wonderful you really are, I'm sure you two will get along great. He isn't the most eloquent, but he means well."

"Eyes closed." I begin to apply the sunscreen to her face, coating everything from her ears to her forehead down to her chin. "Everything will be fine, baby. Don't worry about it."

"My turn."

I cock an eyebrow at her.

"I don't want you to burn either."

 _Am I ready for this?_ I look at the Coppertone and then back at her. "Slow."

She nods. "Just tell me to stop if it's too much."

"Start with my back." If it becomes too much, I can finish with my front.

"Yes, sir."

I hand her the Coppertone and sit on the end of the bed and she crawls up behind me.

"I'm going to start on your neck."

I nod. That's an okay zone.

I feel her warm hands massaging the cream into my neck and shoulders and find my head lulling to the side. She's working my muscles, something I've never had done, and it feels amazing.

She giggles at my response. "Feel good?"

"Oh, yea." My chin hits my chest and I close my eyes.

Her hands leave me for a second, but return to my shoulder blades. I tense for a second and she stops, but I relax when I'm use to it.

"Keep going, angel."

Slowly, she works the cream down my back and I find myself biting back moans as she massages her way down. Too soon, she's finished and begins on my left arm and then my right.

"Your body is so beautiful, Christian. So strong." I hear her sigh and I grin at the compliment.

I turn towards her, kissing her lips. "You're beautiful." I settle next to her so she can continue with my chest.

She blushes at my compliment and takes in my chest. "Are you sure?"

She only touches my bare chest when I place her hand there first. Although she feels comfortable touching me through clothing, she's still unsure. I love that she's worried about my well-being, but I want her to touch me.

"Yes, baby. I trust you."

She smiles at me and nods. I lift my chin up so she can start with my neck and she makes her way down my chest, rubbing in circles and giggling when my chest hair is smashed to my chest in a circular pattern.

"Christian? Are you..." My mother trails off. She's standing on the beach, looking into our cabana, her mouth agape, and her eyes wide. "Oh, Christian..." Her eyes are glued to Anastasia's hands, which have stilled on my chest.

I don't even know what to say.

My father sees my mother gaping at us and looks to see what she's staring at. His eyes widen for a second, but then he wraps an arm around her waist and turns her.

"Come on, love. Let's leave these two alone. Maybe we can find our own cabana..." He leads her away and she looks over her shoulder and smiles at me.

I'm relieved that she isn't angry at me. I don't want her to be offended that Anastasia can touch me, even though she can't. It isn't something I can help. I don't know why Ana can touch me while others can't, but I'm not going to dwell on it. I crave her touch.

She continues down my abdomen and bites her lip as both hands run over my abdominals.

"Gawking, Miss Steele?"

Her eyes widen, realizing her hands have stopped and she hurries to finish, unwilling to answer my question. _My shy Ana._ Once she's finished, we throw our sunglasses on and make our way toward the water. I hear a scream and see my father throwing my mother deeper into the water. Anastasia giggles and I look down at her quirk my eyebrow.

"Oh, no!" She turns to run, but I grab her and she squeals as I throw her over my shoulder.

"Tarzan!" She teases as I make my way towards the water.

"Yes, Jane?"

She spanks me and I stop in my tracks. "Did you just...?"

She giggles. "Yes!" She spanks me again. It's barely just a tap.

"That's it!" I begin to run towards the water while she giggles and when we're deep enough I throw her.

"Christian!" She squeals before she's submerged. She comes up laughing and I swim out towards her.

"Cheeky little thing." I admonish.

She wraps her arms around my neck, her legs around my waist and pouts. "I'm sorry. Let me make it up to you."

I groan. "Baby, don't tease me today. I've already had to have a tug in the shower this morning."

Her eyebrows knit together and her fake pout becomes a true one. "That isn't fair. Why do you get to, but I can't?"

"You're mine. No one touches what is mine."

"But you're mine."

I nod. "I am yours." I kiss her pout away and a small smile appears on her lips. "But who has the control, Ana?"

Her smile widens. "You, sir. You've got it all. I willingly give it to you."

I grin and nuzzle her nose. "That's my good girl."

Her mouth presses against mine. "Yours." She breathes against my lips.

I chuckle against her lips and kiss my way to her ear, where I nip at her earlobe.

"Just think of how good it's going to be when I finally make you come." I whisper into her ear. She whimpers and I feel the warm breath of her exhale against my ear, making me harden. "I'm going to bury myself so deep inside of you, it'll leave you feeling hollow when I'm not with you."

"Christian..." Her forehead hits my shoulder and she grinds herself against me. I grab her hips, forcing her to stop.

"Still."

She lifts her head and looks at me. "I need you, Christian."

"I know." I press a kiss to her lips. "Tomorrow night. I promise I'll spend hours worshiping this body." I run my hands down her backside and thighs and back up until they settle on her waist.

"No teasing?"

I grin. "You don't like it when I tease?"

"Not when I haven't orgasmed in ages."

My head falls back in a laugh. "Ages, huh?"

She nods. "Ages."

XxXxXx

My father, Mr. Steele, and I are lounging in lounge chairs with sunglasses on while Ana and our mother's are playing in the water and talking. They look like they're having a great time and Carla seems to be warming up to my mother quite a bit. A large wave comes and knocks them sideways, causing them to grab each other and scream. We laugh at our women and their antics. _S_ _o dramatic._

"I don't think I've seen Grace laugh this much in years. She and Carla seem to be hitting it off." My father states, keeping his eyes on the women.

"It's about damn time." Mr. Steele retorts.

My father chuckles.

"I love my wife, but damn can she be stubborn."

"Ditto."

I sit between them, feeling like an intruder. I can't really say anything about Ana without Mr. Steele being overly critical. Ana is not stubborn, but I sure the hell am. _Stubborn and demanding._

"What about you, son?"

I look over at him and raise my eyebrow. I am not happy to be stuck between these two during this conversation.

"Ana's not really stubborn." I look back at my girl and smile when I see her laughing hard with my mother. Their relationship is so easy. My mom seems to love Ana so much already...really, though, who wouldn't? Ana is meant to be a Grey.

"Do you love her?" My father asks. He already knows I do. He's asking in front of Mr. Steele on purpose.

"She's my life." _I'd die without her._

"Sounds pretty serious, Christian." I can hear the smile in his voice. I don't even need to look at him to know he's grinning. "Is she the one?"

I large grin forms on my face. "The only."

He chuckles. "It is serious. Serious enough for marriage?" Now he's trying to poke fun at me.

"Absolutely. Soon...hopefully." I turn my head towards Mr. Steele, giving him a hint.

"Shit, Christian! You really did come here for..."

I chuckle as my father's sentence fades. He asked me before coming, but I knew he never expected it to actually be the reason for coming to Savannah.

"Prenup?"

My head turns so quickly to my father, I think I give myself whiplash. "Absolutely not." My answer is hard and cold. The only contract I want us to sign is our marriage certificate; proof she's mine forever.

Dad slips his sunglasses down my nose and regards me for a moment before slipping them back up and nodding. "Okay."

"That's a good answer." Mr. Steele states.

I roll my head to the opposite side to look at him.

"There was a large part of me that thought your request wasn't truly genuine. Refusing a prenup shows you're serious about it."

"Dead serious." I'll have to buy my father a bottle of his favorite liquor as a thank you for bringing it up. I need as many brownie points I can get with this man.

"Speaking of marriage, we got Elliot and Kate's wedding invitation in the mail the other day...along with her wedding shower invite and baby shower invite. Those two aren't wasting any time are they?"

My father snorts. "You aren't kidding. And I'm afraid that Kate has your poor daughter slaving away at all the preparations. You're coming?" He sounds hopeful and I almost laugh. He doesn't want to be stuck with all of our stuffy relatives, I'm sure.

"We'll make it to the wedding, but I don't think Carla will make it to the shower. It isn't financially feasible to fly her twice or keep her in a hotel for a week until I can come down."

"I'll fly her up." _More brownie points._

He looks at me, his eyebrows knitting together. "You'd do that?"

I nod. "She can either stay until the wedding or I can fly her back down."

Mr. Steele gives me a genuine smile and I'm almost knocked off my feet in shock. "She'd love that. In fact," he looks towards the women, "both of my girls would love that. Thank you, Christian."

"You're welcome, Mr. Steele."

"Call me Ray."

 _Ho-ly fuck!_ I have won him over. I cannot wait to tell Anastasia.

I give him a nod and look back at the women, trying to calm my pounding heart.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see my father smiling at me and he reaches over and clamps a hand on my shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. His way of saying 'way to go'.

"I'm pretty excited about my first grandbaby. Are you and Ana going to give us more?"

My whole body tenses. _I'll fucking kill him._ Why the fuck would he bring that up now? _Children?_ _What the fuck do I even say?_

I rub my face, panic filling my chest.

"What?" Ray barks. "Don't even think about knocking up my daughter!"

 _Oh, fuck._ I take a peak over at him and he looks murderous. "She is twenty-two years old! Don't be fucking stupid, boy."

I put my hands out in surrender. "I'm not. Believe me...I'm not."

Ray visibly relaxes at this and shoves his sunglasses back on his head.

I shoot my father a dirty look and see his mouth is open, in shock. I take it he didn't expect that reaction from Ray.

My phone vibrates on my chair and when I pick it up, I see its a text from an unfamiliar number. I click on it and there are multiple pictures of Anastasia on the beach from today, a few of them include my mother and Carla.

 _*Keep her close, Grey. It'd be a pity if your property turned up missing.*_

My whole body tenses and I can feel the dread washing over me from my head to my toes.

"ANASTASIA!" I jump out of my chair. "COME!"

I start for her and she looks at me, wide-eyed and confused.

"Christian! What's wrong?" Ray's behind me, but I ignore him.

"I SAID COME! NOW!"

She hurries out of the water to me and I grab her holding her tight against me.

"TAYLOR! SAWYER!"

"Christian?" Anastasia looks at me, bewildered.

"Stay close. Don't leave my side." I look toward the direction of where the pictures were taken from.

"Sir?" Taylor is there, standing on the beach in full uniform. He's probably hot as fucking hell, but right now I couldn't give a shit.

I thrust my phone at him. "FIND HIM!" I don't know if it's Hyde, Sorrento, or another fucker, but I need them to find whoever the fuck sent this.

"What the fuck is going on?" Ray looks panicked.

"Some fucker is threatening to kidnap Anastasia and he's followed us here."

Ray's face turns from white to deep red. "I'll find the fucker myself!" He looks around, as if the son of a bitch is going to make himself known.

"Christian..." Anastasia whimpers my name and I look down at her. _She's scared._

I hold her tight to me, in both arms. "It's okay, angel. You're safe. I'll keep you safe."

I look back in the direction of where Taylor and Sawyer have run off to and see both of them jacketless, with sleeves rolled up, as they scan through the crowds of people. I'm sure the fucker has already fled before now, but there's a small chance he's stupid.

Ray stands on the opposite side of Anastasia and scans the beach. "Who the fuck is it? What does the son-of-a-bitch look like?"

Our mothers have made their way over to us, looking concerned.

"What's happened?" Carla looks worried and keeps her eyes on Ray.

"Some cock-sucking son-of-a-bitch is threatening to take Anastasia, that's what's fucking happened!" Ray barks. His whole body is shaking and every vein in his face and arms are popping out through his skin. _He needs to stay calm!_ I can feel Ana start to tremble in my arms.

"Christian..."

"I've got it taken care of, Mom. Ana won't leave my side until this is resolved."

"WHO IS IT?" Ray looks like he could kill me.

"Calm the fuck down! Anastasia is scared enough!" I bark back at him. I don't give a fuck who he is. He's making Anastasia even more scared.

His eyes flick to the trembling girl in my arms and his shoulders relax and his hands find her shoulders. "I'm sorry, Annie. I'm sure Christian has this under control."

I can see his chin ticking as he clenches his jaw, but he finds his control.

"Who is it, Christian?"

I sigh. "I'm not sure, but I have a hunch."

He scowls at me and I know I have to tell him.

"It's either her old boss, Jack Hyde or her old...boyfriend Liam Sorrento." I'm definitely not calling him a dom.

"Why would they do this?" Carla asks.

"Hyde forced himself on Ana at work and so I bought the company and fired the fucker...made sure no one would hire him anywhere near Seattle." The thought of that night doesn't sit well with me and my stomach rolls. I squeeze Anastasia to me. She can't be close enough.

"And the other?" Carla presses.

My eyes flick to my mother and she gives me a nervous glance.

"Sorrento was Ana's boyfriend before we got together. I took her from him."

"You...what? I...why didn't we know she had a boyfriend?" Carla looks at Ray.

"He was abusive." Ana's voice is soft and rushed.

"He was WHAT?" Ray lets go of her shoulders and begins to pace the sand behind her. "Why didn't you tell us!"

I didn't think Ray could look any angrier than he looked a few minutes ago. I was wrong.

"I was scared." She answers, refusing to remove her cheek from my chest. I reach up and cup her head, holding it firmly in place. I just want my body to swallow her whole, making a safe Ana-cocoon.

Ray stops pacing and looks at me. "You saved her."

It wasn't a question, but I nod anyway. "I beat the shit out of him."

"Good."

"When security comes back, we need to go."

Ray nods in agreement. "Let's get our shit packed."

XxXxXx

By the time we get everything packed up, the sun is setting low in the sky and I force myself to stop and enjoy it while we wait for Taylor and Sawyer. I sit down on a lounger, planting my feet on each side, and pull Anastasia down between my legs. I hold her tight against me and relax my chin on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry this sunset isn't more enjoyable, Ana. I had every intention of watching it with you tonight."

"It's still beautiful, Christian." She turns her head to look at me and pecks me on the lips. "Thank you for this...for everything. I'm sorry I had to ruin it."

"What? Baby...you haven't ruined anything. You are not allowed to blame yourself for this, Anastasia. Tell me you understand."

She sighs. "Yes, sir."

It doesn't sound very convincing. I lean over and grab her chin, turning her head so we're looking at one anther.

"This is not your fault. You aren't ruining anything. I love you and I will keep you safe. I want to keep you safe." I can't even imagine what would have happened to her if she was left to Sorrento and Hyde. Thank fuck we found each other. "I will take care of everything. Just stay close and do as I say."

A small smile forms on her face and I release her chin. She turns in my lap and snuggles into my chest. "That won't be a problem, sir."

Taylor and Sawyer come up empty handed. Taylor has researched the phone number and it ends up being a burner phone. He couldn't pull any GPS from it and it's already disconnected. Unfortunately, the fucker isn't stupid like I had hoped.

I tell them that one of them needs to head back to the hotel and get a few hours sleep, because I want someone watching the house all night. I'm not about to leave this house unsupervised while we're all asleep. They take us back to the house, doing a sweep, making sure that no one has tampered with anything and that all the doors and windows are secured and locked. Sawyer heads back to the hotel to sleep while Taylor stays, researching Hyde and Sorrento on his laptop while we sit in the kitchen. I need to know their whereabouts now.

Anastasia is sitting in my lap while Taylor and I speak with Dad and Ray. I half expected Ray to tell her to move, but I'm pretty sure his concern for her safety is too much for him to give a fuck where she's sitting. Our mothers are making dinner and when one of them uses the chopping board, the sound cuts through the room and I realize for the first time how quiet it is.

Taylor and Ray are speaking in hushed tones, Mom and Carla not speaking. Anastasia is snuggled into me, playing with the buttons on my shirt and I suddenly feel like I'm at a funeral. The seriousness of the threat is starting to sink in, the reality that someone could take Anastasia away from us, torturing her, is excruciating to think about. I hold her tightly and clear my throat to ease the tightness forming in my throat. My chest feels like one big cigarette burn and my stomach is churning. I swallow thickly, hoping it doesn't make me physically sick. I need to stay in control...levelheaded. For Ana. She depends on me.

"Where are you, Taylor?" I need to know if he has _anything._

"I've pulled up the GPS's on the last phones they've owned. Sorrento must not have the phone anymore. It hasn't pinged a tower in two weeks. Hyde's pinged Detroit four days ago. I'm searching social media now to see if they use it and if there is any activity. So far...nothing."

Anastasia sits up. "May I?" She looks down at the laptop.

Taylor's eyes flick to mine before nodding and sliding the laptop over to her.

I watch as she opens a new browser and types in a link. The page pops up and it's a webpage on doms and dolls. _Fuck._ My heart drops into my stomach as she continues to sign into the damn website. _LeatherBaby0910._ I grip her hips and audibly growl.

"Lewis1989." She states her password out loud, no doubt to try and calm me, showing that she's being open and honest. _Of course she'd use the Nev fucker's last name._

I watch as she clicks through a couple pages and I see her profile pic. She's on her knees, her head is down, and she's looking up through her eyelashes, her blue eyes big and bright. The fucking picture needs to come down now! I don't want any other fucker looking at her like that. There is an inbox link and I notice it says 'Inbox (59)'

"What the fuck." All these fuckers want what's mine. "When you finish whatever the fuck you're looking for, you're disabling this site." I can't believe she'd even pull this shit up with her father sitting opposite of us!

"Yes, Christian." She answers automatically and continues to click.

Suddenly, Sorrento's picture pops up on the screen and my arms jolt in surprise. She scrolls through his page and grins.

"Ah ha. Here...he has a new girl...look."

I look down at her and then blink a few times before concentrating on his feed. The last post reads _'Ecstatic to meet my handsome new sir tonight. I'll be patiently waiting on my knees for you.'_

 _FUCK._ The girl looks young. _Too young._

I watch as Anastasia pulls up another browser and does a reverse image search. _This girl could be a fucking spy._

"How do you know how to do that?" I'm impressed.

She laughs. "It's common knowledge, Christian."

She gasps, causing my eyes to return to the screen. The picture has brought up multiple articles. She clicks on one and it pulls up an article, showing the girl's picture and Sorrento. The article reads _'Man Sent To Prison After Soliciting Seventeen Year Old Girl Online'._

"Holy fuck."

Ray, Dad, and Taylor scoot around and Ana pushes the laptop back so we can read the article. Sorrento found this girl on the website, she lied about her age, and then when she met him and he beat her, she got cold feet and told her parents. Sorrento is pleading not guilty to having sex with her, which he probably didn't, but all the evidence is against him. The girl states they did have a sexual relationship and that he was abusive. _Karma's a bitch._ A tiny part of me feels bad that he'll be labeled a pedophile for the rest of his life, but not enough to fucking help the woman-beating asshole.

I have yet to ask Ana what he did to do and she hasn't offered any information. Now, I find myself curious. _Would she tell me?_

"At least we now know it isn't Sorrento." Taylor mentions. It also explains why he hasn't given us any grief.

"Taylor, take Anastasia's profile down. Now." The thought of her or I doing it, makes me sick in the stomach. I know I don't have enough self-control not to click on the inbox. I'll end up wanting to go after every fucker who inboxed her. _The fuckers probably got off on her picture._

"Profile to what?" Ray asks.

 _Oh, shit._

"It was a dating profile, Daddy. That's where I met Liam."

"You met men off the internet? Are you crazy?!" Ray is angry and I don't blame him.

"Just Liam. I realize now that I made a mistake. Please don't be angry." Anastasia looks up her father with big eyes and a slight pout and I know he's a goner. He hasn't got a chance.

Ray grunts and pulls at his hair. "And it won't happen again?"

She shakes her head. "Why would it? I've got Christian." She leans back against me and I can't conceal my grin. _That's right, baby._

"Do you realize how self-destructive you can be?" Ray asks and shakes his head. "I should have never left Washington."

"Don't be silly. I'm fine; I don't mean to be. Besides, Christian takes care of me now."

"Thank fuck for that!" Ray growls.

My father chuckles. "You know Ray, you and Christian are very similar in certain ways..."

Ray and I look at each other with raised eyebrows. I'm not really sure how to take that.

"Sir, Miss Steele's account has been deactivated. I am checking to see if Hyde's used his bank account, now."

I nod. "Good."

XxXxXx

After dinner, Taylor announces that Hyde bought an airline ticket from Detroit to Atlanta airport three days ago, where he rented an SUV from Enterprise and has used his debit card at two gas stations since, the last being in Savannah. There is no hotel or any evidence of buying a burner phone, but I don't need it. It's Hyde. I'll fucking kill the son-of-a-bitch.

"Find out why he was in Detroit, Taylor. Get a team on it. I want to know everything about the fucker and I want someone tracking him once we find him. I want to know every time he fucking sneezes!" I need to know everything. _I'll ruin the fucker. He'll wish he was dead._

I'm stuck on the pull out couch again. Anastasia is safer upstairs, away from the main floor. I tucked her in about a half hour ago and I can see that all this Hyde shit is getting to her. She's trying to hide her worry, but I'm not stupid. Taking him down has become top priority. I don't want Anastasia to carry the emotional weight of this.

I'm exhausted, but I can't sleep. I keep finding myself staring at the front door as if Hyde's going to come walking through at any moment. I'm being fucking ridiculous. Sawyer is out watching the house and making his rounds around the perimeter every twenty minutes. Taylor has gone to sleep for a few hours, but has assured me that he'd be back in a few hours to assist Sawyer.

I force myself to close my eyes and I daydream about my Ana. I can't wait to take her home and lay her down under me. I'm having Ana withdraws.

I hear thundering and my eyes pop open in panic. Anastasia comes flying down the steps, sobbing and runs right for me. I sit up just in time for her to throw herself on me, sobbing into my neck.

"What happened?! What's going on?!" My heart is beating out of my chest as I hold her to me.

"Ni-Nightmare." She sobs out and I relax and rub her back.

"Hyde?"

She nods against my neck. "Please let me stay. Don't make me go." She's pleading with me between sobs and I know I won't deny her. I don't want to.

"Of course you can stay." I maneuver us so that she's curled to my side and under the blanket, but she shuffles quickly, climbing on top of me and laying down.

"I've got you." I rub my hands up and down her back and she nuzzles her nose into my chest. "Nothing is going to happen to you."

I see movement in my periphery and my eyes fly to Ray, who is standing at the edge of the room. _Don't fucking start it._

I open my mouth to speak, but he holds out his hand.

"She ran right past me to get to you. Didn't even notice I was there." _Oh, fuck. He hates me again._ "She feels safe with you." _Oh?_

"She should." I answer. _I take care of what's mine._

Anastasia sniffles and I see her looking up at her father from her spot on my chest. "I want to stay with Christian."

Ray regards her for a long moment and I can feel Ana becoming antsy. Finally, he nods. "Fine."

Anastasia relaxes on top of me and grins.

"Don't forget out deal, Christian." Ray reminds and I nod. _Respectful._

He heads back upstairs and Anastasia snuggles into me, letting out a contented sigh.

"I've missed you."

I grin. "Me too, baby." _Maybe I'll actually get some sleep tonight._


	14. Going Overboard

"Christian...Christian!" I hear my father's voice and feel someone shaking my shoulder.

 _Go away._ I groan my annoyance and roll Anastasia and myself to our sides. My back is killing me from laying in one position all night.

"Wake up, Christian! Ray will be up any minute. If he sees you and Ana in bed-"

"He already knows." I grunt, pulling Ana closer to me and nuzzling into her hair.

"He does?"

I nod, hoping he goes away. I hear footsteps and relax back into Anastasia, hoping to get a little more sleep. I am just about to drift back off when my mother's voice jerks me awake. _Fucking really?_

"Good morning, darling!"

"SH! The kids are still asleep!"

"Oh!" My mother states in a loud whisper. "Are you making coffee?"

 _Oh, for fuck's sake!_

I growl and roll to my back, deciding that my parents are not going to allow me to sleep. I feel Ana stir and my head turns to see her looking up at me, her big blue eyes smiling at me.

"Good morning, Christian."

Even though I'm pissed at my parents, I can't help my grin. "Morning, baby. Sleep well?"

She nods and turns on her back, stretching. "Much better than the night before."

"No more nightmares?"

Her smile drops and I realize she forgot about everything that had happened yesterday. "No more nightmares."

"Don't worry about it, Ana. I promise we'll be somewhere where Hyde can't reach us today. Let's enjoy the rest of the trip before we leave tonight."

"What are we doing?"

"Going deep sea fishing."

Her eyes widen, making me laugh. "Dad will love it!"

 _More brownie points._

"Good. What about you?"

She giggles. "We'll see. I'll enjoy the boat, I know."

XxXxXx

I've checked our bag three times, making sure we have enough sunscreen, sunglasses, her books, towels, and I've even shoved an extra tshirt of mine in there in case she gets too much sun and I need her to cover up. I know I'm anxious because we are leaving the house and Hyde can be anywhere, but I can't let Anastasia see me sweat. I need to stay calm for her. Taylor and Sawyer are coming with us and are going to search the rental boat area and boat with a fine tooth comb. Taylor has run a background check on the captain of the boat and he's come back squeaky clean.

I'm hoping Anastasia has chosen a one-piece for the boat. Since we're likely not to swim, I don't want her sensitive skin damaged from being in the sun too long. _Speaking of Anastasia_...she has yet to make her way down from her room.

"Annie Steele! You've got two minutes or we're leaving without you!" Ray yells up the stairs, making all of us crack grins. I know it's an empty threat, but it's effective, because Ana comes barreling down the stairs not a minute later.

"I'm coming! I'm sorry!" Her cheeks have a tinge of a blush and she looks harassed. "There were no cover ups in my bag. I had to get creative."

I drag my eyes down her body and see that she's wearing my light blue button-up, a pair of capri jeans and white Keds. Her long, dark hair is down in waves and she looks edible. It makes me want to take her on my sailboat... _alone._ My cock twitches in my Armani shorts. I like her wearing my clothes.

Her eyes rake down my body, appraising me. Her eyes glaze and darken and I know she approves. I'm wearing a white t-shirt, my gray Armani cargo shorts and my white Converse low tops. I cross my arms, my shirt stretching over my biceps and she bites her lip. _Drink me in, baby._ I want her as wet as I can get her before I take her to bed tonight.

I hear a throat being cleared and I realize that there are six other people in the room.

Anastasia heads into the kitchen with my mother to retrieve their handbags and my father cocks an eyebrow at me.

"What?"

He grins. "You're letting her wear that shirt?"

I cock an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"That's a fifteen-hundred dollar shirt." My father looks rather amused by this. I hear Carla gasp, but I ignore her.

"Why do you care? I make that a minute." _Why the fuck is it your business?_

His grin widens. "I just remember a very angry man throwing a fit when he found his little sister wearing a very similar looking button-down she found in his closet."

I roll my eyes. _Yea, yea. I was a terrible brother._ That little clothes horse shouldn't have been in my closet.

"Don't mention that to Anastasia. I'm sure she doesn't realize the cost and if she did, she'd be mortified and embarrassed. Leave it!" I warn, giving him a hard look.

I love this about Anastasia. She is completely unaware of designer brands and couldn't tell the difference between JC Penny's and Armani. Money makes her uncomfortable and for that reason, I had the team who organized her wardrobe cut all the tags off. She would have never worn any of it if she saw the cost of those dresses I bought her.

His grin lessens, but doesn't leave his face. "Relax, son. I was just poking fun. I would never want to make Ana uncomfortable."

 _Relax._ I actually laugh at that. I am strung so tight today; I'm sure my blood pressure is through the roof. I doubt it'll get any better until that fucker is found and taken care of. I shouldn't have lashed out at my father like that. I'm not use to this new buddy-buddy shit with him and my brother.

I give him a nod. "Sorry."

He shrugs. "I know you've got a lot on your mind, Christian. We'll find him."

I need to get us out in the open water, so I can take a few minutes to breathe.

XxXxXx

I didn't think that it could get any fucking hotter or more humid...well I was fucking wrong. _I'm in hell._ It's 96 degrees and the humidity is 88 percent. _How is that even possible?_ I think it's safe to say that I will _never_ own property in Georgia. I might have to jump in the ocean a few times just to keep myself from overheating. I'm suddenly extremely worried about Anastasia. I want to keep her covered, but I don't want her to overheat. I'm wracking my brain for ideas to keep her cool and covered on our way down to the dock and I catch a tourist hut.

 _Perfect._

"I'll be right back. Stay with Sawyer." I release her hand and stick her next to Sawyer before jogging off to the hut with Taylor in tow.

I find a big floppy hat made of wicker and a black bow and I grin, imagining her response when I shove it on her head. I also grab a battery operated handheld fan that has a squirt bottle attached to it for mist. They have multiple colors, but I grab pink, hoping she might be more likely to use it if it's her favorite color. I grab her a white sun umbrella with lace trim, again, hoping she'll use it because it's got cute shit on it.

"May I help you?" The woman asks, eyeing my full arms.

"Yes." I hand the lot to her. "Is there anything else that will help my girlfriend stay cool?"

She convinces me to buy a towel she swears stays cool the whole time it's wet. It's $40 bucks and I think she's swindling me, but I don't have time to give a fuck. Again, I pick pink. I end up buying a hat for myself. It's camo and has the American flag on it, but at least it isn't big and floppy.

"That'll be $168.34." The woman states, ringing it up.

I hand her a $100 and 4 $20's and tell her to keep the change before grabbing my bags and heading towards the dock, where they are all waiting.

Ana eyes my bags and raises an eyebrow. "What'd ya' get?" She's suspicious.

I hand Taylor my bags and reach in one, brandishing the floppy hat with a dramatic flourish and give her one of my pantie-dropper smiles as I shove it on her head.

"Christian! You can't be serious!" Her eyes are wide and she looks harassed.

"Completely."

She crosses her arms. "I am _not_ wearing this ridiculous thing!"

I cross my arms, challenging her. "You _will."_

"No." She reaches up, pulling it off, and shoves it back in my arms.

"Yes." I shove it back on her head.

"Christian! You are insufferable!"

"Am I? Why don't we get a second opinion?" I look over her head and see Ray. "RAY!" I wave him over and I can feel the heat of her stare.

I chance a look down at her and she is fuming. Her scowl is deep, her lips are pursed together, her arms crossed, and her foot is tapping against the ground. She better be glad she's so fucking cute or I'd have to punish that sassy ass.

"You. Are. Adorable."

She huffs. "You do not tell a woman she is adorable when she's angry, unless you want your bullocks ripped off!"

I bend half over in a laugh. "That mouth, Miss Steele, is going to get you into trouble."

"What's up?" Ray asks.

"Ana isn't happy with my hat choice, but I like it. What do you think?"

He regards her sour face and grins. "It's lovely." His sarcasm isn't missed.

"SEE!" Her hand flies out toward her father, pointing at him, as if it's going to help her case.

Ray laughs. "It's very..." he eyes the offending object with distaste, trying to find a proper word and I have to fight to keep a straight face. "Well, it'll keep you safe from the sun. I agree with Christian on this one."

"I dislike you." She scowls at me.

"As long as you wear the hat, I don't care how much you dislike me at the moment. You'll change your tune tonight." I smile smugly and wiggle my eyebrows.

Anastasia continues to scowl for a second, but then begins to crack a smile that turns into a giggle. "You hush and help me onto this boat!"

"Let's take a picture of you in the hat."

"What?" She looks thoroughly shocked. "I don't have any intention of reliving this traumatic experience!"

I ignore her and take the camera that Taylor has fished out of the bag.

"Smile!" I lift the camera to my eye and get a picture of the back of her, stomping towards the boat.

I hand the camera back to Taylor, and when I do, I see him grinning at me.

"What?"

He shakes his head and clears his throat. "Nothing, Mr. Grey." He nods towards the walkway, indicating he'll follow. _The fucker finds this funny._

I snort. _It is._ "Shut it, Taylor."

I hear a chuckle behind me. "Yes, sir."

I make my way down to the boat and see Ray pick Ana up by the waist and hoist her up into the boat, before doing the same to Carla. My father looks at my mother and goes to reach for her, but she bats him away, grabbing the railing and taking the large step up. My father takes advantage of this and pinches her ass.

"CARRICK McCALISTER GREY!" My mother screeches and I wince.

I thank all that is holy that they decided against naming me after my father. I should really thank Elliot for not being able to say McCalister properly. The thought of people calling me Mac makes me cringe. My mother thought it would be so fucking precious to call us Big Mac and Little Mac. _Talk about dodging a fucking bullet._

I had a name before I was adopted, but I don't know what it was and neither do I care. The crack whore never called me by my name anyway, but it had to be better than McCalister.

I climb onto the big fishing boat and I'm greeted instantly by the captain. "Hello, Mr. Grey. I'm Captain Finley Collins."

The man looks to be in his sixties, he's got red hair, a gray beard, and friendly eyes.

I decide to shake his hand. "Captain Collins...thank you for having us on such short notice."

He goes through the safety protocols with us, explaining how to use the equipment, how to reel in the fish, how _not_ to reel in the fish, and states that diving from the upper tiers of the boat is not allowed. Anastasia stands between her mother and father, staying away from me, but I can't help a grin because she's still wearing the big floppy hat. She may be sassy, but she still knows her boundaries.

Once he is finished, everyone disperses.

"Ana. Come." I open my hand to her and she takes it. "We need to get your Coppertone on." With everyone moving around, there is no room for that here, so I take her up the ladder to the second tier. It'll hide her from the sun and give us some privacy.

I take her hat off and begin to unbutton my shirt that she's wearing while she unbuttons her capris and slips them past her hips. My dick swells as I undress her, even though I know she's wearing a bathing suit underneath. I can't risk someone coming up here now, so my dick will have to wait for tonight. Once I've slipped my button down off her arms, I place the shirt on the bench next to her hat and grab the Coppertone, starting on her face and working down.

Her gaze is lowered and I watch her lick her lips.

I grin. "See something you like, angel?"

She hums and reaches out to squeeze the tent in my pants, making me groan.

"Baby..." _Fuck._ I'm breathless. "You've got to stop."

She sighs, but doesn't fight me, and lets her hand drop back down to her side. _Thank fuck._ I don't think I could restrain myself if she kept going. I'm already finding it difficult not to slip my fingers between her legs and into her suit.

I kneel down to continue with her legs and slide my fingertips under the hem of her suit around her legs, making sure I coat anything that might find sun. She holds onto my shoulders and tries to keep still as I push and pull her, but her stomach ends up a couple inches away from my face and I can't help, but nuzzle her abdomen. I miss the intimacy with her. Her hands find my hair and I give her stomach a kiss before sitting back and finishing on her ankles.

I stand and take my shirt off the bench, sliding it back on her. I button her up while she re-rolls the sleeves to her elbows.

"Are you going to put sunscreen on?"

I grin. "I did it earlier while we were all waiting for you to come down."

She blushes. "Oh."

I chuckle and kiss her soundly. "Don't worry about it. Let's get going. I need to catch something bigger than our fathers do."

She giggles and makes her way to the ladder.

"Anastasia!"

She stops in her tracks and looks over her shoulder at me.

"Hat." I grab it off the bench and place it on her head.

"Hmph." She's annoyed.

I spank her as we make our way out and then spank her a second time.

Her eyes widen and she looks up at me on the way down.

"That was for sassing me about the hat and then making me remind you to wear it, Miss Steele."

"How many times do I have to take it off to get spanked tonight?" She smiles up at me and I want to grab her and throw her over my shoulder and have my way with her on the top tier. _Little Minx._

I stop her at the bottom of the ladder and lean into her ear. "If you keep your hat on, I promise to spank you as long as your heart desires tonight."

She beams up at me. "Deal."

XxXxXx

So far, I've caught absolutely nothing. Ray has caught three and my father has caught one. There's a yank on Ray's pole and he jumps up.

"Another one? Well, how bout that boys?" Ray smiles smugly as he begins to reel it in, tugging and pulling.

"For fuck's sake." I murmur on under my breath and walk away from my pole. I climb the ladder and step up so that I'm standing on top of the boat, looking out onto the water. I can see the girls from the front of the boat and they're all holding wine glasses and sitting in the front deck of the boat, talking and listening to the radio. Anastasia still has on her hat and my button down and she looks beautiful. She's laughing and looks so much more at ease than she did this morning. Being away from the public has helped me, too. I know it'll be short lived. In a couple hours we'll be back on shore and heading toward the plane that will take us back to reality. _We need to find that Hyde fucker._

I see my mother point towards the side of the boat and I look out into the horizon. A large yacht, big enough to house a helicopter on the back, is coming towards us. _Holy fuck._ The women stand to get a better view and we watch it get closer. It's created extremely large ripples in the water. _That fucker is going to make us rock._ The asshole is doing it on purpose. There is no fucking reason why they have to pass so close to us. The wake gets closer to the boat and I panic.

"ANASTASIA! ANASTASIA! SIT DOWN!" The fucking yacht blows it's fucking horn and I don't know if she can hear me.

She spins quickly on her toes and looks up at me. "WHAT?"

"ANA-" It's too fucking late. She takes a step back as the boat begins to bounce and falls outs backwards. "ANASTASIA!"

I dive off the top of the boat, close to the spot where Ana fell in. On my way, I can hear our mother's screaming for help, which only intensifies my panic. I feel my aviator glasses go flying at some point, the new hat I bought following, but I don't give a shit. My eyes squeeze shut and I hold my breath as I hit the water.

I force my eyes open to find her. It burns like a mother fucker. I can't see much, but I force myself to keep my eyes open and swim around as long as I can. My lungs are about to burst and I kick for the top, gasping for air. I see everyone looking over at me, scared-shitless, and I know she hasn't emerged.

"Christian! Where is she?!" Carla is panicking and I scan the the water quickly for any sign of struggle before taking another deep breath and diving again. I swim deeper and my hand hits something. I grab at it and realize it's an arm. I yank it towards me and I can make out dark hair. _Oh, fuck. No._ I grab her around the waist and kick my way back up to the top, grabbing onto the side of the boat.

"OH! You found her..you-Oh, my god! RAY SHE ISN'T AWAKE!" Carla is freaking out and I can't blame the woman. My whole body is shaking and I force myself to look down at Anastasia. Her dark hair is stuck to her face and I force it to the side. She looks peaceful. Her face is relaxed, her mouth open, her lips are blue.

"No!" I let out a sob.

"Give her to me!" Taylor demands and reaches down to pull her body out of the water. I let him take her and pull myself up, my mother making a feeble attempt at trying to help me.

Once I'm standing, she grabs my shoulders, but I shrug her off. "Get off me! HELP HER!"

I drop down next to Taylor and Anastasia, who are both laying on the deck of the boat. His lips are on hers and rage shoots through me just for a second, before I realize what he's trying to do. _Get your shit together, Grey!_ Now is not the time to be concerned that his lips are touching hers.

"Christian! I need you to come and sit by her head! I'm going to start compressions on her chest. When I tell you, I need you to hold her nose and breathe hard into her mouth!" My mother demands, dropping next to Ana and taking over.

Taylor moves back far enough to let me in and I take his space. I watch my mother begin to press her palms against my Ana's chest, counting. My eyes sweep over my girl's face and she still isn't moving. _This is all my fucking fault._

Carla is screaming and sobbing, trying to get to Ana, but Sawyer is holding her back. _Fuck her._ She stood there and did nothing for Ana.

"Christian...Christian! Now." I blink a few times and snap out of it. My lips press against her cold ones and I blow hard. _Come on, baby. Come on. Breathe._

"Okay! Stop." She begins the chest compressions again. "Keep a hand behind her neck and lift! Make sure her airway is open!" My mother is breathless and she uses all her might, pushing on my angel's body and I can just imagine her hands breaking her ribs. I cup the back of her neck and force it to lift so that her head falls back a little.

"Good. Good boy. Again." I breathe into her again until my mother tells me to stop.

"Come on, Ana...come on, baby. Please. Please don't do this. I need you." It's been too long. I'm shaking uncontrollably and I begin to sob.

"No, Christian! Don't fall apart! Again!" Mom demands and I breathe into Anastasia's mouth again and then suddenly she's fighting me.

Shocked, my face jerks back and she's coughing up saltwater.

"ANA! Ana! Oh, thank God. Jesus Christ." I hear her mother go on behind Sawyer, fighting him, but I can't speak.

Anastasia begins to sit up, but my mother grabs her shoulders. "Easy, girl. Easy."

She's looking around, blinking, and her beautiful, blue eyes find mine. They're bloodshot and murky, instead of clear, but they're perfect. The thought of never seeing them again makes me let out another sob.

"Christian?" It's a whisper and it's rough, but it's her.

"I'm here." I hold her cold face between my palms. "And so are you."

I slide my hand around to the backside of her head and she winces, grabbing it. "I hit my head."

My thumb runs over the spot and I feel a large goose egg on the back of her head. "Oh, Ana..." My eyebrows knit together. "You stupid, stupid girl." I pull her to me and hold her tight. "I thought I'd lost you."

"Christian...let the girl breathe. I need to check her over." My mother coaxes, placing a hand on my shoulder.

I reluctantly release Anastasia, but refuse to move away from her while my mother looks her over. She checks her pulse, her respirations, she checks her eyes for any sign of concussion and listens and feels for pulmonary filling.

"You are one lucky girl, Anastasia. It could have been so much worse. You're going to have a cough and we need to be careful about pneumonia. We'll keep an eye on you on the way back and see how you're doing."

I stand and bend, picking up Anastasia and placing her in the cabin, on the soft bench. She keeps coughing and my jaw clenches with each one. Now that the panic has subsided, rage is beginning to replace it. I'm angry at Hyde for making us change our plans, I'm angry at the yacht fucker who got too close, I'm angry at Anastasia for not being careful, and I'm angry at myself for not making sure she she was safe. She should have had a fucking life jacket on. I was so fucking worried about skin, I hadn't even thought about making sure that she had it on before fishing. _If she would have just had it on..._

Her parents crowd her as soon as she's placed on the bench and I take a few steps back, trying to get some air. _I told her to put the damn jacket on!_ She defied me! She doesn't have any regard for her own safety! _Why the fuck did I not make sure she had it on?_ I want her hand in marriage and I can't even keep her safe for three fucking days! Ray is never going to tell me yes, now. A crazy fucker is after Anastasia and she just about drowned on my watch! I'm fucked. I don't deserve to have her.

I see Ray in front of me and I realize that I've been pacing and both of my hands are in my hair. He offers his hand and my hands fall to my side before I take his. _Why the fuck is he shaking my hand?_

"Thank you."

"Oh..." _Really?_

"You saved her."

"You...you're welcome." I don't sound confident, because I'm not. He should be angry. I allowed her to go hours without a life jacket.

 _Life jacket._

"Where are the life jackets?" I look around and see a couple piled up. I grab one quickly and make my way over to Anastasia, taking her arms and lifting her slowly, so I can slip the life jacket on her.

"Come on, Carla. Give them a minute." I hear Ray coaxing her out onto the back of the boat.

Anastasia watches me while I fuss over her and her eyebrows knit together.

"What is it?" I ask, snapping the jacket.

"I lost my hat."

My fingers stop and I start chuckling. She looks at me, bewildered, and it only fuels my laughter. She continues to stare at me until I find my bearings and take a few deep breaths. _This is all ridiculous._

"I'll buy you another."

"You said if I keep it on..."

My eyes widen in realization. "Trust me, Anastasia. There is nothing I want more than to take my anger out on that body right now, but it isn't going to happen. Because of our blatant disregard for your safety, any ideas we had about tonight are long gone."

She looks down at her fingers and nods.

"It's a punishment for both of us, Anastasia." _There is nothing more I want to do than to bury myself into her and forget everything that's happened, but I can't._ Anastasia is too fragile.

"I really thought we lost you, Anastasia. That was the longest five minutes of my life...the worst five minutes of my life. I don't know what I would have done if you would have..." I shake my head. I can't say it. "You were lifeless...you looked so peaceful, but you were cold and your lips were blue. You couldn't have been at peace. You hate the cold..." _What the fuck am I saying? Shut up! You aren't making any sense, Grey!_

Anastasia sniffles and wraps her arms around my neck. "I'm right here. I'm sorry."

I hold her tight against me and now, I'm wishing I would have waited a few more minutes before putting the life jacket on. I can't get close enough.

Her cheek presses up against mine and it's warm. _Thank fuck. She's warm._

"You're warming up, Miss Steele." I note, refusing to let her go.

She giggles into my ear and my whole body lights up. It's the best thing I've heard all day. "It's hot as hell in here."

I pull back enough to look at her and see that her cheeks are pink from the warmth. "If we go out, you aren't letting go of my hand, do you understand?"

She smiles and nods. "Yes, sir."

I take a deep, shuddering breath and nod. "Can you stand?" I loop an arm around her and help her stand, letting her collect herself.

"Okay?" I ask, searching her face for any sign that she might pass out.

She nods. "Yes." She takes a small step and then another and another. I keep my arm around her and we slowly make our way back out onto the sole of the boat.

Ray comes and pulls her to him for a hug and I reluctantly let go of her, but stay close.

"Mr. Grey, we're heading straight back to shore. It should only be another half an hour."

I nod, but keep my eyes on Anastasia. Her mother pulls her in for a hug and steps to the side with her and I automatically follow.

"Christian, nothing is going to happen to her. I've got her." Carla says, smiling.

 _Fuck off._ "Just like you had her earlier when she fell off the fucking boat?" I growl back.

"Easy..." Ray warns, putting his hand out.

"Fuck that! She stood there screaming while her daughter was drowning, like that was going to help anything! Ana would have died if she had to depend on her!" I turn from Ray to Carla and see her crying. I don't give a fuck. I'm pissed. "YOU do not get to decide how close I am to her anymore! She is mine. I take care of what is mine. I don't stand and let bad things happen to the people I care about." I step up to Anastasia and clasp my hands around the tops of her arms and pull her away from her mother, against my chest. "I think I'll take my girl back now."

Carla is shocked, but I don't give a fuck. I'll blow a fucking gasket at anyone who tries to tear me away from her.

"I froze." Carla sounds horrified.

"Carla..." Ray makes quick work and pulls her against his chest. "It's not your fault." He scowls at me.

"No...it's mine." I answer, feeling the rage turn back into guilt. "I told her to put her life jacket on, but I didn't make sure she did it. I should have put it on her myself." My eyes are locked onto Ray's, and his scowl disappears.

"Christian..." My head snaps down to my girl. Anastasia looks up at me and turns in my arms to hug me around my waist. "It isn't your fault. It was an accident."

"She's right, son. There's no point in pointing fingers. It's over and Ana's alright. Let's try to salvage the rest of the day."

I nod at my father, but there's no use trying to salvage anything. This might be the worst weekend of my life...and surprisingly it doesn't have anything to do with her father. Twice, it was threatened that Ana would be taken from me. _No more._ We're going to get on that fucking plane, go home, and hire enough people to sniff out that fucker and kill him.

"Taylor, call Ros and have her find room at Grey House for SIP and make sure you have men on Hyde full time. Anastasia isn't leaving my side until he's taken care of." The thought of her going to SIP everyday is disturbing. She needs to be next to me at all times. "Anastasia will work at GEH until we make the move happen. Move everything from her office to mine. We'll sort everything out from there." The move will take a couple weeks and I'm not willing to wait that long.

I can feel Ana's intense gaze staring up at me, but I ignore it. This isn't something that is up for discussion.

XxXxXx

After Anastasia gets checked out by the Urgent Care on the boardwalk, we grab something to eat and make our way back to the house to pack quickly. Ray and Carla follows us to the airport in their car to say goodbye and I honestly can't wait until that airplane is in the sky. I just want to go home, take a nice hot bath with my girl to wash all this shit off, and fall into our comfortable bed.

Everyone says their goodbyes and I stand next to Anastasia as she's hugging her parents. Carla eyes me as she hugs her, but doesn't say anything. _Good choice._

Ray hugs Ana and gives her a kiss on the forehead, demanding that she call as soon as we touch down so that he knows we've made it.

"Christian." Ray sticks out his hand and I shake it.

"Ray." I make eye contact with him and he gives me a small smirk.

He nods subtly. "Take care of Annie."

I can feel the blood leave my face. _He just gave me permission..._ not that I would listen anymore if he would have said no...but it still means something. Especially to Ana.

I grin. "I will."

Anastasia is standing, watching our exchange, her head going back and forth as she looks between the two of us. She's confused and it entertains me.

I release his hand and wrap an arm around her waist, pulling her towards the plane.

"What was that about, Christian?"

I chuckle. "Nothing to worry about. Ray and I have made friends."

Her eyebrow raises. "Friends?" She sounds doubtful.

"Something like that." We make it to the stairs and I allow her to go first. "Up you go." I swat her butt lightly with my palm on the way, not caring if her parents can see. _She's mine._

We get settled inside and Anastasia plops into her chair, sighing. I'm sure she's exhausted. I feel exhausted, but I doubt I sleep any. Her head leans back against the headrest and she closes her eyes.

"No sleeping, baby. You hit your head." I remind her, moving to buckle her up.

"But, I'm tired." She doesn't open her eyes.

"Ana...please, don't fight me. I've had enough scares this weekend to last a lifetime."

She sighs and opens her eyes, blinking them open.

"Christian...it is safe for Ana to sleep, as long as she's awoken every two hours." My mother pipes in with her damn medical knowledge and I just want to growl at her. These women are going to give me a heart attack.

Anastasia grins and I give her a swift kiss. "An hour and a half." I tell her and she nods, smiling, and leans back in her chair.

I set my watch for an hour and a half since my cell phone is now fried. I found it in my pocket while we were changing at her parents. I'll have to buy a new one on the way to work tomorrow. _Maybe I'll get Ana a new one, too._

Once we've taken off, Anastasia reclines and makes herself comfortable and I get her a blanket from the bedroom, placing it over her. She's already asleep, but it doesn't stop me from pressing a kiss to her temple. _She's safe, she's breathing, she's comfortable._ Right now, that's all I can ask for.

I sit back down in my seat and watch my girl while she sleeps.

"Christian? Why don't you take a nap for a bit? It's been a long day." Mom asks, and I can hear the worry in her voice.

I shake my head. "No." I'd rather watch Ana sleeping. I watch her chest rise and fall and I count them. _1...2...3...4...5..._

"Christian..."

"I said no!" My head snaps towards my mother and I give her a hard look before look back at my sleeping girl. _1...2...3..._

"Don't speak to your mother that way." My father warns.

 _He's right._ I let out a long sigh, trying to relieve some of the pressure in my chest. "I'm sorry, Mom. I know you're only trying to help. I just need to be left alone for awhile." _...6...7...8...9..._

"I understand, Christian. I know you're worried about taking care of her, but please don't forget to take care of yourself. You can't take care of her if you're exhausted, darling."

 _10...11...12...13..._ My mother doesn't understand. It isn't that simple! How can I rest, knowing that Anastasia might stop breathing in her sleep? She needs me and I'll be here. I won't sleep until I'm sure she's okay.

My mother decides to continue, even though I've ignored her. "She'll be okay, Christian. If she does have a concussion, she'll probably become easily exhausted. She might get moody and she might have a hard time concentrating. Just watch her and make sure nothing gets worse. If she starts to forget anything or starts feeling nervous or out of control, go ahead and take her to the ED. They can do a quick brain scan."

 _I might do that anyway...20...21...22...23._

"How long does this last?" I take the bait and question my mother. She's made me lose count, but I keep my eyes on Ana's moving chest anyway.

"That all depends...anywhere from a week to four weeks."

I nod. I'll make sure to set my alarm.

"But that doesn't mean you have to continue to wake her for that long." My mother must be a mind reader. I shrug, keeping my eyes on my girl. "Christian! I'm serious. Both of you will be fighting exhaustion if you do that! If she wakes fine while on the plane, she'll be fine."

My girl starts coughing and I fly out of my chair and kneel in front of her as she sits up in a coughing fit. I rub her jean clad thighs up and down while she fights through it. Finally, she settles and takes a deep breath.

"Maybe I shouldn't recline so much."

I have an idea. "Stay."

I leave her and head to the bedroom, grabbing a couple of pillows. I place them behind her head and shoulders so that she's propped up, but her feet are still elevated. "How's that, babydoll?"

She snuggles into the pillow and sighs. "Perfect."

I chuckle and kiss her cheek. "I'll be right here."

"I know."

XxXxXx

I pull off Anastasia's top, unsnap her bra, and kneel in front of her to help her with her shoes and pants. I've started a bath for us and the only sound is the running tap and an occasional cough from her. Once I'm finished with her, I stand back up and pull off my clothes, throwing them in a pile on top of hers. She stands, watching me, with her hands clasped together in front of her. Her hair is up in a knotted mess on her head, making the dark circles around her eyes even more pronounced. Her chest is bruised from my mother, and it makes the skin around it look even more alabaster. She seems so small and fragile at the moment, but she's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. She looks exhausted, but her lips are pink and her skin is warm. A deep contrast from the limp body I held earlier today. The thought of it makes me take a step towards her and pull her into my body.

 _Warmth._

Her arms wrap around my waist willingly and she nuzzles into my chest. We both smell like saltwater, sweat, and Coppertone, but neither of us care. We're home. We're together. I don't know if I ever want to go back to Georgia, again. We stand, holding each other, until the tub fills. I pull myself from her slowly, feeling her sticky skin stick to mine, and turn off the tap. Turning back to my girl, I offer her my hand and she steps in, sitting down, and submerses herself up to her neck. I step in behind her and lower myself down with a sigh; the hot water feels incredible on my abused body. I feel like I've run a triathlon.

Once I relax, I lean forward and pull her back, between my legs.

"I've waited all weekend for this." I whisper in her ear.

She hums and runs her palms up and down my bare thighs. _I crave this intimacy with her._ I want us to be as close as two people can get. I want her body, her soul, her mind, and her heart.

"How is your head, baby?"

"I have a bit of a headache, but it's manageable." _Fuck. I should have gotten her some sort of pain killer._

"I'll get you an Advil when we get out. Can I wash your hair?" I don't want to push it if it's too painful.

"Please."

I reach up and work the hair tie out of her hair slowly, being careful not to tug on her hair too much.

"Your hair is a mess." I've never seen it so tangled. I even find a small piece of seaweed that I pick out of her hair and throw to the floor.

I work on shampooing her gently, doing it twice, before coating her hair from top to bottom with conditioner.

"Stay."

I lift myself out of the bathtub and go to the vanity in search for a plastic comb. Finding one quickly, I make my way back to her and seat myself behind her.

"Tell me if it's unbearable."

I start combing through her hair, working the conditioner through it slowly and getting the knots out, one knot at a time. It takes almost twenty minutes and my biceps are burning from holding them out so long and forcing myself to keep my patience, but her hair is now knot free and back to its shiny self.

"All done, Miss Steele." I heave a sigh of relief and place the comb on the side of the tub.

"Thank you, sir." She turns in my lap and straddles my thighs, kissing me soundly.

"You're very welcome." I reach over and grab the clean, white wash cloth. "Body next?" I ask, ignoring her slight roll of the hips against my groin. _Not happening._

I work down her body and then turn her around, so that I can get her back. When I'm finished, she leans back against me and sighs.

"Relaxed?"

She nods against my chest. "I love this, Christian."

"And I love you." I tease lightly, making her giggle.

"That, too."

I hold her against me and rest my chin on the top of her head. "I've never been so scared, Anastasia. It was like someone reached into my chest and tore my heart out, seeing you limp in my arms. I swear, baby...if we wouldn't have gotten you back...well...they would have had to bury me, too."

"Christian...no." She turns in my arms and straddles my thighs again. "Don't say things like that." She cups my cheeks with her palms. "Please."

I shake my head. "The thought of you not existing...it's just too much to bear." My eyes become blurry and I blink my tears away, forcing a few to fall.

She wipes my tears with her thumbs and kisses me soundly.

"I need you, Ana. Forever." I need her to understand.

She smiles and kisses me again, effectively shutting me up. I lean into the kiss and hold her tight against me as I deepen it. Too soon, she has to pull away and starts coughing. _Fuck._ I had almost forgotten the fragile state she's in. I move her off my lap and place her on the other side of the tub while I make quick work of washing myself from head to toe. I unplug the tub and stand, grabbing a towel off the hanging wrap.

"Up."

She stands automatically and I wrap her in a fluffy, white bath towel, placing her on the rug beside the tub. I step out behind her and wrap the towel around my waist before drying my girl off. She stands still and lets me take care of her. _I need this._

Once she's dry, I squeeze the excess water out of her hair. "Let's dry your hair." I don't need her to get a chill while sleeping tonight.

I take her soft pink bathrobe from the hook on the door and slip it onto her small frame before setting her down at her vanity. I make quick work of drying and brushing her hair while she coughs and yawns through it. _My poor girl._

When she stands, I scoop her up and carry her to bed myself. I don't want her to use any more energy than she has to. I stand her beside the bed on her side and turn down the bed before slipping her robe off.

"No clothes tonight, Miss Steele. I need to feel your body heat." _Skin-on-skin._

She climbs in and I hurry to cover her up so she isn't cold. I watch her snuggle deep into our bed and let out a sigh of content.

"Good?"

"Oh, yea...so good."

My cock twitches a little at the comment, but I ignore it and make my way back to the bathroom to retrieve two Advil and a glass of water. While she takes the pills, I rub the towel over my body, making sure to get the rest of the water and then run it through my copper locks a few times to towel dry. I slide in next to her and her head finds my chest before my head even hits the pillow. I chuckle and squeeze her close, but then she starts another coughing fit.

"Shit, Anastasia!" She needs to propped up.

I sit up, forcing her to sit, too, and reach over, fluffing her pillows and adding two more to it. I position her back on her side of the bed and rest her against her pillows, taking her in. _She looks propped up enough._ I wait a few seconds to see if she's going to start up another coughing fit. She doesn't, but I slide over to fluff the pillows again anyway.

"Christian..." She sounds a bit annoyed.

"Alright." I concede and slide back over to my side of the bed, fluffing the one pillow that's left. I lie on my side and prop my head up on my elbow, using my hand, so I can watch her.

She eyes me for a minute and shakes her head. "You're so far."

I agree. _She's too far._

I move back towards her and sit her up, pulling one of the pillows out of the pile and lay down on the three remaining. I pull her back to me, so that her back is against me and her airway is unobstructed.

"But, I can't hold you!" She begins to whine, but has to stop because another coughing fit erupts. I sit us up and rub her back, waiting for her to finish.

When she's calmed down, I lay us back down and wrap an arm around her. "Don't whine."

She sighs. "Yes, Christian."

I kiss the top of her head and nuzzle into it. "I love you, Ana."

"I love you, too."

I reach over and set the alarm for two hours from now. _Better safe than sorry._


	15. Kate and Elliot's Wedding

**A/N: I wanted to note that the reason I put so much detail into Kate and Elliot's reception is because I won't be writing one for Ana and Christian. So, for you that are wondering...that is the reason. Thanks for waiting while I was sick and had writer's block. Hopefully, the wait was worth it.**

 **ALSO- All the songs I mention in here are in my 'Ever Mine' board on Pinterest NineN3Quarters. You can listen to them there if you haven't heard of them.**

The last couple weeks have been some of the longest of my life. We've hired four men to trace and track Hyde and so far, nothing has come up. They're still trying to figure out what link he has in Detroit. I'm starting to wonder if he's changed his name at some point over the years and I have voiced my opinions to Taylor, which has caused a whole new investigation to occur and I feel like we're getting no where.

Anastasia has been coughing for the last couple of weeks and it's just now starting to subside a bit. This week, my mother had prescribed her some Amoxicillin and it's done wonders. Anastasia kept fighting me on it, but I knew it was worse than she was letting on. I can see her getting frustrated with me, because I've been treating her like she might break, but I'm still worried she might. We've made love almost every night even with her cough, but she keeps begging me for something rougher. I keep denying her anything other than missionary. I tried allowing her to ride me, but she took advantage of it and started bouncing, so I flipped us over and that was the end of that. I've given her orgasm after orgasm and, yet, I can see how frustrated she still is. I don't know how much longer I can treat her like this, but the thought of hurting her or her over-exerting herself makes me panic-stricken. She'll just have to wait. I'll decide when, where, and how.

We are relabeling SIP, Grey Publishing and it's being moved to the 19th floor of Grey House, but the construction isn't completed, yet. Anastasia has shared my office with me the last two weeks and it's definitely helped a lot with my anxiety about Hyde. I've moved my conference table and chairs and put in an extra desk to house all of her items. She looks happy to be here and I'm happy to have her. I love being able to look to my right any time I want and see her working away on her laptop or on a manuscript. I've listened to her speak with clients and she's actually quite good at it. I love listening to her no nonsense approach to the clients on the phone. There is not one submissive trait about her when she speaks; her tone is strong, confident, and professional. The day I heard Ana tell the client, 'I'm not playing games with you anymore, Mr. Wexford. The contract I sent you is more than generous. If you think you can find a more generous offer somewhere else, then please, go, and stop wasting my time.', I ended tearing her away from the desk and burying myself deep inside of her on the couch...twice. The client ended up signing with us that same day and now, Ana asks for what she now calls a 'good luck fuck'. _I love my job._

I'm not looking forward to her moving down a floor with the rest of them. Maybe I can convince her to continue sharing an office with me. I have a feeling that if she leaves the office, that those 'good luck fucks' are going to be fewer and farther between. I've made sure that the office right next to my personal elevator on the floor below will be hers and that she will have easy access to use it.

I hear Anastasia shuffling around papers and it brings me out of my 'good luck fuck' daydreaming. I look over to find her starting to clear off her desk for the night. It's Friday night, the night before Kate and Elliot's wedding, and we've got the rehearsal dinner to go to. I'm Elliot's best man...even though, I'm not really sure why. We're not the closest, but I suppose I am his brother and I guess he'll be mine when Ana and I get married. I smile at the thought. I've been searching for rings for Ana, keeping in touch with various jewelers for diamonds, cuts, and styles...but nothing feels right. Nothing is good enough for my Ana. She's going to wear it for the rest of her life and I want it to be perfect. There have been so many times that I've wanted to just blurt the question out to her, but I've controlled myself. I want everything to be perfect when I ask her. I don't want it to happen in the middle of a fuck or shower or dinner. I've got an idea on how I want to do it if everything will just fall into place...but I can't do that until I find a fucking ring that's worth giving to my girl. _Incompetent jewelry fuckers._

Kate has made Anastasia her maid of honor, which makes me ecstatic; for one, I don't have to deal with being coupled with Mia in the wedding party and two, no one else will be coupled with my girl. Ana being the maid of honor also means that she's been doing nothing, but working and wedding activities and it has been frustrating. She's been sick and exhausted on top of it all, forcing me to go round and round with my soon-to-be sister-in-law/ex-slag a few times. Anastasia's parents are in town for the wedding, they just touched down today, and I'm not looking forward to that either, to be honest. I'm ready for the weekend to be over so that Ana and I can get back to some kind of normalcy...well, normalcy for us, anyway. I don't know if anything will be normal until Hyde is taken care of.

"Are you ready, baby?" I hear her ask from her desk as she pulls her handbag out from the bottom drawer.

I grin. "Almost." I answer, starting to clear my desk of papers, memos, and scrap paper.

I listen to her soft footsteps as she makes her way closer and her arms wrap around my neck from behind, running along my chest. She begins to nibble on my ear and I let out a groan.

"I want you, sir." She whispers in my ear, before taking my earlobe back into her mouth.

 _Oh, fuck me._ "Let's go." I stand quickly, forcing her to let go and I grab her, forcing her legs to straddle me. She squeals and giggles as she holds on to my neck with one arm, the other, clinging to her bag. I grab my jacket off the back of my chair and continue to carry her out of my office, locking it behind me, and to my elevator.

Andrea gives us an amused look when she sees Anastasia clinging to me like a monkey and I grin back at her.

She jumps up quickly to get the elevator for us.

"Off to the rehearsal dinner, Mr. Grey? Enjoy your weekend, Miss Steele."

"Thank you, Andrea. Enjoy yours, too." I answer, stepping into the elevator with my girl. Andrea seems to be liking working for GEH much more since I've become more personable. I never realized just how much I intimidated and frightened the people around me until I became truly happy for the first time in my life. As for the male fuckers, I don't give a shit how intimidated they feel; they should. For the females, though, the last thing I want is for them to feel frightened of their boss.

"Are you going to put me down, Christian?" Ana asks, grinning.

"Not a chance." I grind into her, hitting her right between the legs, and she moans.

"Are you going to have your way with me, Mr. Grey?" Her eyes are hooded and dark and I know she's probably soaked.

"Anyway I want you, Miss Steele, I'll take you." She whimpers at my words and I can feel her soft pants of air against my cheek. "So ready, already, Anastasia."

She nods. "Yes. I'm way past ready, sir."

I kiss her hard on the lips as the elevator doors open to the parking garage and I see Taylor has already pulled up with the SUV. He opens the door for us and I slide her in before sliding in behind her and buckling both of us.

"Let me see your feet." I demand.

She turns and her feet find my lap. I immediately pull off her brown heels and pick up her right foot, pressing the pads of my thumbs against her arch. She moans and leans her head back against the leather headrest while I continue to rub the bottom of her foot. I place my thumb and first two fingers on her heel and slide up slowly, until I'm holding her Achilles tendon between my thumb and fingers. I slowly rub her foot on each side of it and then use my other hand to extend her toes up, flattening her foot, before putting more pressure on the back of her ankle.

Her groin shoots upward and I grin. She relaxes back down and grips the door for support.

"Good?" I ask, smugly.

"Oh, yea." She nods, her eyes closed.

I continue to massage my way from her foot, pushing her brown pants up her leg and continue to her calf. She's panting by the time I'm done with the first leg, so I put up the separation between Taylor and us and continue on the second. This time, she's ready for the surge of pleasure to her groin and only whimpers when the pressure hits.

"Are we home, yet?" Her patience is lacking.

"Almost." I continue up her pant leg and she continues to moan and wiggle against the seat. I'm just starting to wonder if I could get her to come like this when the car stops and I see that we're back home.

She slides up quickly, undoing her belt and pounces on me before Taylor can even get the door open. I chuckle into her kiss at the sudden attack and hold her against me as Taylor opens the door.

A small gasp comes from him and he clears his throat. "Sorry, sir. A little more time?"

I shake my head against Anastasia's lips. She's got a death grip on my hair, keeping my face firmly against hers, but I manage to climb out with her still attached. I point to her discarded shoes and handbag in the backseat for Taylor to get and continue to the elevator.

Anastasia releases my face and stabs at the close door sign on my way in, effectively blocking out Taylor, and punches in the code while still clinging to me.

"On a mission, Miss Steele?"

She nods, panting. "I need you to fuck me, Christian. Now."

Her lips meet mine again and I press her against the elevator wall, squeezing her ass through her brown pants. I force her a little too hard and hear a rush of air blow through her nose, reminding me to be gentle. I pull my lips away from hers and rest my forehead against hers, trying to find some control.

"Not like this, Anastasia. In bed."

She sighs and shakes her head. "I'm not going to break, Christian. I miss my dom. I miss the mind-blowing hard fucks my dom use to give."

I chuckle and kiss her. "You'll get him back when I'm sure you're better."

"I'm better!"

The elevator pings and I pull her off the wall, carrying her into apartment. "I'll make love to you, Anastasia."

"I don't want that."

"Then you'll wait." I set her down in the main room. "I've got to go to my office for a few minutes to sign some things Ros faxed me from New York. Since you don't want a release on my terms, then you will not be getting one. Shower. Now." I turn her towards our bedroom and spank her. "Go on."

She looks over her shoulder at me with a pathetic pout on her face, but marches on to the bedroom.

 _That girl._

I unlock my office and am glad to see that the papers are already sitting at the machine, waiting for me. I hurry to initial and sign them all and fax them back to her in New York. I relax back in my chair while I'm waiting for the confirmation to come through and rub my face.

I am one horny mother fucker. I want to fuck Anastasia senseless, but I will never forgive myself if I do something that her body isn't ready for. She is getting so frustrated with me, that I'm afraid she'll end up telling me to fuck off and run away to find some other fucker who will be more than happy to take care of her needs. It's been two weeks, so maybe it's time to release the reigns a little bit and put some force back into it. I miss seeing her tied up, moaning, and begging for me. Tonight, after the rehearsal dinner, I'll take her back to the playroom. She's waited long enough...and so have I.

The confirmation page prints, stating it was a success, and I place it on top of the pile of papers, stapling them all together and throwing them in the manila envelope labeled 'The Pearson Account'. I turn off the light to the office and open the door, finding my jeans folded right outside the door and a note. _My dom jeans._

I bend over and pick them both up. The note reads, 'Come find me, sir.'

I stand there staring at the note for a few seconds. She's forcing me to dom up; she's topping from the bottom. Should I take the bait? My swollen, throbbing dick is screaming 'yes', but my inner dom is telling me to keep control.

"Who the fuck cares!"

I step back into my office and throw my clothes into a pile, taking everything off, including my boxer-briefs, and slide on my worn, torn up dom jeans. They're well used and soft against my skin. I step out of my office, leaving it unlocked so that Gail can grab my clothes and make my way to the stairs. I can feel my mood changing with every step. I feel in control-powerful. I even walk different in these jeans. Anastasia isn't going to know what's hit her.

I get to the bottom of the stairs and see her brown pants in a pile, so I pick them up. _This girl really wants to make sure I take the bait._ I continue up the stairs, picking her blush pink blouse on the first landing, her blazer on the top of the stairs, and find her lacy brown bra hanging off the handle of the playroom door. _Little temptress._

I pull her bra off the handle, not wanting security to get a peek of anything intimate of hers, and open the door slowly. The smell of wood and citrus cleaner hits my nostrils and my whole body lengthens, standing tall. The room is dim, but I see my Anastasia on her knees in the middle of the floor, wearing only her panties. Her legs are open wide and I can see the wet spot on her panties from here. I shut the door with a click and she lets out a small gasp as I drop her clothes to the floor in a heap.

I slowly make my way over to her body, circling her once to get a good look at her.

"Up."

She rises, but keeps her eyes on the floor in front of her while I take her hair, braiding it quickly. I place my hand in front of her, palm up, and she places a hair-tie in my awaiting palm.

"Good girl."

I secure her braid and let it drop against her back. My hands ghost their way down her arms, to her waist and back up her sides.

"I own this body, Anastasia."

"Yes, sir."

"I do what I please, when I please."

"Yes, sir."

"If all I want to do is make love to you, then that's what I'll do. I don't want any cheek, Anastasia."

"I understand, sir."

I spank her hard, making her jolt forward. "I do, however, miss seeing this ass pink." She whimpers and I tug on her braid. "Hush."

"Yes, sir." Her voice is soft and sweet and only makes me want to fuck her harder.

"That's my good girl, Anastasia." I whisper into her ear, before kissing my way along her shoulder. I slip my fingers into the waistband of her panties and slide them down her legs, crouching behind her. Her ass is in my face and I bite back a groan when I see my pink hand print on her white backside.

"It's been a long time since I've marked you like this." I tell her, tracing my hand print with my index finger. She shivers. I give my hand print a kiss and stand back up. "I'm going to give you what you crave, and what I want."

Her shoulders sag in relief. "Oh, thank you, sir."

I grin against her ear and nuzzle her. "Are you my possession, Anastasia?"

She hums. "Yes, sir. I'm your possession. Only yours."

"Mmm, that's my polite little possession." I grasp both of her wrists and hold them behind her with my left hand while my right wanders down her abdomen to her center. It's warm, soft, and wet.

"Is this just for me?" I ask, slipping a finger over her clit.

"Oh, yes, sir." She's breathless and panting and I have to force myself to stay in control.

"What is this, Anastasia?" She keeps her head down and looks at my hand between her legs.

"Your pussy, sir."

"And what are you?"

"Your possession."

"And what am I?"

"My sir. My alpha. My everything."

A large smile breaks out on my face. "That's my good girl." I reward her with a few firm strokes against her clit and she moans loudly, relaxing against my chest.

"That feel good?"

"Oh, yes, sir. So good." She nods against my chest, but keeps her eyes closed.

"You smell phenomenal, my girl. Here...taste." I slip my hand from her center and lift my index and middle finger to her mouth, waiting for her to open. She opens willingly and sucks hard on my fingers, humming as she goes. My cock jumps in my jeans and I take a deep breath to slow my heart rate while she sucks them clean.

"Enough."

She stops sucking immediately and I slip my fingers out of her mouth. I stand her back up straight, so that she's supporting herself and her head bows back to the floor.

"Go to the chair and lean over the back. I want to whip you before I fuck you." I tap her lightly on the backside and she makes her way over to the soft, high-back chair.

I make my way over to my wall of instruments and pick my favorite, worn leather belt. I like to use this during pleasure whipping. It's soft to the touch, easy on the skin, but makes a beautiful sound against the backside. I'm sure Anastasia will appreciate it.

I slowly return to Anastasia and see her already bent over the back of the chair. _Always so eager._ When I reach her, I grip the back of her neck and push her head down further. "Head down, palms on the chair." I don't want to tie her up just yet.

"How many, sir?"

"As many as I feel like, Anastasia. You won't count."

She hums and her hips wiggle a bit.

"Still."

"Yes, sir."

"Give me a number, Anastasia." We've come up with a system from 1-10. One is easy, ten is the hardest.

"Ten."

"That's my good girl." I'm ready to take out some aggression.

I swing my arm back and connect for the first time and Anastasia's head flies back and she cries out. "Oh, thank fuck!"

I grab the back of her head and push it back down. "Head down. I won't say it again."

"Yes, sir. I'm sorry."

I continue to use the belt on her ass until we're both panting and and Ana's moans are almost screams. I know she's on the edge.

"Let go, Anastasia. You can come."

Three lashings later, she's a writhing mess, screaming my name.

I drop the belt and massage her warm, pink backside as she works herself down.

"That's my good girl. I'm going to fuck you now." I can't wait anymore. I grab her and throw her onto the large bed on her stomach. Yanking open my jeans, I grip the back of her neck with one hand, forcing the side of her face against the mattress, and loop my other arm around her hips, yanking her up on her knees.

Once she's in position, I release her waist and grip her ass cheek, forcing my dick into her center.

"Fuck, Ana." I head falls back and I still, forcing myself into control.

I grip her neck tighter and begin to pound into her at a punishing rate. Her moans and screams fuel me to keep going and I don't stop until I send both of us into explosive orgasms.

I release her neck and collapse beside her in a sweaty, panting mess. She curls up next to me, her head laying on my bicep and she kisses my shoulder while we recuperate.

"Thank you, Christian."

I smirk. She forced me up here and she's the one giving thanks.

"Are you ready to shower, Miss Steele?"

She sighs and stretches. "Yes, I suppose so. Kate will have our heads if we're late."

Now that I've got her sated and happy, I'm going to drop the ball.

"Baby, I know you've picked your dress for tonight already, but I ordered another one I'd like you to wear."

Her eyebrows knit together. "Don't you like my dress?"

"I do, but it's a dress that I imagine you wearing on a date."

A smirk forms on her face. "You don't like it because it's sexy."

I shrug. "You're right." My family will be there, including my dickbeater cousins and I don't want them eye-fucking her all night. She already looks edible no matter what she wears. I prefer her to wear something sweet.

I notice she hasn't said anything, but she's regarding me intently.

"You'll wear my dress."

She smiles. "Okay."

I must look shocked because she giggles and sits up, straddling my hips so she can see me. My hands automatically find her hips and she shows me her hands before placing them on my stomach.

"What type of submissive girlfriend would I be if I fought you on something like this? I love my demanding, dominant boyfriend." She grinds her hips into mine and bites her lip. "I'm sure the dress you bought me is beautiful. Will you dress me?"

I smile up at her. "Of course I will." I like my Ana sweet and compliant during times like this. I don't mind her being sassy over simple, fun things, but when I find something important, her compliance means everything to me. "And I promise to take you out in the fiery red dress sometime."

She smiles and leans down, kissing my lips. "Good. A date night is long overdue. I need to go out and show off my hot boyfriend."

I agree. _I want everyone to see that she's mine._ I wrap an arm around her and slide out of bed, carrying her down the hall and the stairs to our bedroom. She clings to me in her normal monkey form and nuzzles against my neck.

XxXxXx

"Baby, you look beautiful." She's wearing the tea-length red dress I bought her. It has lace bodice and sleeves, a satin bow in back and satin skirt. It dips low into a 'V' in the back, but its understated and makes her look beautiful. I look forward to the skin-on-skin when I keep a hand on her back. Her hair is up and her make-up is soft and I'm thankful she's chosen a nude pink lipstick instead of a fiery red. I hold up her strappy, black sparkle Louboutin Balota's and her eyes bug.

"Now _those_ are some high heels..." She mentions.

"Too high?" _Perhaps I should go get her white heels._

She shakes her head. "I'm sure you'll catch me before I fall."

I frown.

"I'm just kidding, Christian. They're beautiful. I want to wear them."

I look them over for a second, weighing my options. She's worn the dress without a fight, so if she wants to wear them, I can't tell her no, now.

I give her a nod and point to the bed. "Sit."

She takes a seat and I unzip the heel of the shoe, before sliding them onto her feet. Once I have them on, she straightens her legs and lifts her feet to look at them.

"What do you think, Miss Steele?"

She smiles. "They're perfect." She stands and wraps her arms around my waist. "You spoil me, sir."

I grin. "Good."

She leans in and gives me a long, sweet kiss. "I like this..." she states, referring to her new height and kisses me again.

I chuckle against her lips and pull back. "We need to go, Ana."

"Alright." She looks me up and down and bites her lip. "You are so handsome." She reaches up and tugs on my red tie. "We match."

"Yes, baby...and I intend on using this later..." I tell her sliding my silk tie through my fingers.

"Mmm, I better be a good girl tonight, then."

I groan and nuzzle my nose with hers. "Stop trying to seduce me, Miss Steele. We need to go."

XxXxXx

Rehearsal was boring, but it isn't really a shock, since it always ends up that way when I have to deal with my family. I also found out that I don't even get to walk my beautiful girl down the aisle. I have to stand up there with my brother while everyone gawks at us until the wedding starts. Tomorrow is going to be a really long, fucking day. Anastasia seemed to enjoy herself, though. She had five glasses of Moscato throughout the three hour rehearsal and I ended up having to basically carry her out of the country club.

We're on our way back to Escala now and my girl can't keep her hands off of me.

"Baby, you're drunk."

"Just a little buzzed. I want my sir." She pouts, crawling into my lap.

 _A little buzzed, my ass._ "You're drunk."

She shrugs. "Okay, so I'm drunk. I still want you."

I chuckle. "Baby, I can't take advantage of you."

She clicks her tongue and rolls her eyes.

"Miss Steele. It doesn't give you the right to become disrespectful now."

She pouts and rests her forehead against mine, kissing my lips, but I don't reciprocate.

"I'm sorry, sir. Please kiss me." I know I can't deny her, so I press my lips to hers.

"You're forgiven."

"We have sex all the time, Christian. It isn't taking advantage of me. I want it." She kisses her way across my stubbled jaw and down to my neck, where she nips, kisses, and sucks.

"Little seductress." I murmur, but make no attempt to stop her. Her hands find my tie and she works hard on getting it loose. In her inebriated state, it takes longer and I almost do it for her when I feel it tightening instead of loosening. I force myself to keep my patience, concentrating on the assault her lips are doing against my neck. I know I'll have marks, but I don't give a fuck. Finally, she gets the tie loosened enough to unbutton the top few buttons of my shirt, giving her better access to my neck.

She sucks on the hollow at the junction between my neck and shoulder and grinds her hips against mine. I groan, my toes curling in my shoes, and I roll my hips, giving her better access to my tent. I continue to roll my hips a few more times, as I listen to her mewl and moan against my skin.

"I love the sounds you make, Anastasia." I hold her hips firmly against mine and roll mine again, making her head fall back as she moans loudly.

"I need you, Christian." Her forehead falls against mine and her eyes watch her own fingers work at the rest of my buttons. When she's finished, she slips her hands inside my shirt and runs them down my abdomen and back up before trying to push my shirt and jacket off my shoulders at the same time.

"No, Anastasia."

She pouts. "But, you're wearing too many clothes, sir."

"You don't get to decide when I'm clothed."

She nuzzles her nose against mine and kisses my lips a few times. "Please, sir?" She tries to push them off my shoulders again.

I shake my head. "No. If you can't control yourself, I'll bind you."

Her eyes sparkle at my words. "I don't think I can control myself, sir."

"You need to be bound, Miss Steele?" _I like this game._

She nods. "I want you too much." her hands slide down my bare abdomen again. "I can't control myself."

I slip my tie over my head and grab her wrists, binding them together quickly. Once they're bound, I place them over my neck, so they're stuck behind me.

"Nowhere to go." I state, grinning and nipping her neck a few times.

"But...but, I want to touch you, sir."

I laugh. "Ana, you asked to be bound."

"I changed my mind."

I shake my head. "Too late. The decision's been made."

She grinds against me and kisses my lips. "Fuck me, Christian."

I shrug. "Maybe." _I want her to beg._

Her mouth drops open. "Please, sir. I want you. I'll be a good girl."

"You will?"

She nods. "I'll be your good girl, I promise." Her hips grind against mine again, making me smirk.

"Okay."

She beams. "Yea?"

"I'll consider it."

She huffs out in frustration and scowls at me.

"I thought you were going to be my good girl?"

Her eyes widen and she changes her tune, scooting closer and nuzzling my nose. "I am, sir. I'm your good girl."

I smile and hold her tightly against me as I roll my hips, making her mewl and close her eyes.

"That's my good girl."

Her lips find mine and I deepen the kiss immediately. She willingly gives me access to her sweet mouth and I explore, forcing her tongue down in submission every once in awhile when it begins to battle against mine. Our hips are both rocking constantly now and I'm too far gone to tell her no at this point. My dick is actually throbbing in my trousers and I can feel the stickiness at the end as she grinds against me. My hands wander all over her body, stopping on her breasts to squeeze them, while my thumbs brush over her nipples until they're hard peaks. She's becoming more and more vocal, her voice filling the back of the car and I'm just about to reach under her dress to undo my pants when a knock on the separation brings me back to the present.

I pull away from her and blink a few times, seeing that we're in the garage at Escala. I give a knock back against the barrier, telling Taylor and Sawyer that we're getting out and step out with my girl, her arms still bound behind my head. I carry her to the elevator and Taylor and Sawyer go to the right, taking the freight elevator instead. _Smart men._ I wasn't going to allow them on anyway.

I step into the elevator and punch in the code as I press Anastasia up against the wall.

"I can't wait to fuck you, baby." I tell her, nibbling on her ear before continuing down her neck.

She whimpers and grinds against me, pulling on my hair.

"Please, touch me, sir."

I groan and pull my face out of her neck to look at her. "Who do you belong to?"

"You! I'm yours, I'm your possession, sir."

I growl and smack the emergency stop button, the elevator lurching to a stop. "I'm going to fuck you right here, Anastasia. I fuck you wherever I please."

She moans and her head hits the elevator wall. "Yes, sir. I'm yours."

I use one arm to hold her up while they other busies itself with unbuckling my belt, unbuttoning my pants and then unzipping them. I pull them down enough for my cock to spring free and I move her panties to the side and then grab my dick to penetrate her, but her panties have moved back.

"Fuck this." I hold her up with one knee against the back of the elevator and use both hands to tear the crotch of her panties.

"Oh, wow."

I look at her, seeing her eyes are dark and hooded, and I grab her again, forcing myself into her at the same time.

She cries out and her arms squeeze against my neck, trying to pull me closer.

"Hush." The elevator shaft carries and I won't have any fucker listening to my girl. It's for my ears only. I slide out and back in with a groan. "You are so fucking wet, baby. That's my good girl."

I fuck her hard and fast, sweat forming on my brow quickly, but I ignore it when it runs down my face. Her face is hidden in my neck as she tries to stifle her screams, only fueling my pace. I feel her start to tense and shudder in my arms and I let myself go with a grunt.

She relaxes in my arms, but keeps her face hidden in my neck and I know she's spent. I hold her with one arm while I tuck myself back into my pants. I leave myself undone and unbuckled, not giving a shit who notices. I hit the button to start the elevator up and wrap both arms around my girl, leaning myself against the wall. I'm exhausted, but so sated.

"You alive, baby?" I tilt my head to look at her and see that her eyes are closed. _I've knocked the girl out._ Hopefully, she doesn't have a hangover in the morning.

XxXxXx

Last night, I put Anastasia to bed, undressing her while she went in and out of consciousness. I was worried that she wouldn't even remember the elevator, but while I was pulling her dress off of her, she mumbled, 'that was hot' at me, so I'm pretty sure it's ingrained in her mind. She woke up extremely early this morning, nursing a bit of a hangover while she ran around, throwing on clothes so she could meet Kate and the other girls at the hair salon. I watched from our bed as she fretted, worried she'd be late. Sawyer stayed in the guest room last night and I can't imagine him being very happy being stuck at the hair salon while the girls get primped, plucked, and pretty.

I don't know why woman have to be so high maintenance. I got to lay in bed, watching the news until 9:00am and then I got up and had a nice, late breakfast before heading to my gym to work out for an hour. I took a nice long shower, shaved, and threw on some sweats before heading to Elliot's, where all the men were meeting. We had a few drinks at his basement bar and a Hummer limo picked us up and brought us to the church, where we're getting ready. _I don't understand why people say weddings are so stressful._

I haven't been in touch with Ana all day, and it's odd. Usually, I get a text or a phone call at some point, but today...nothing. Kate must have her doing backflips. I had Sawyer give Anastasia a Cartier box when she was getting ready today. I bought her a platinum, diamond choker to wear today; I left a note inside the box that said _'Mine.'_ I waited for a thank you text, but got none. At least it won't be long until I see my girl. The wedding is at 4:00pm and it is now half passed three. In fifteen minutes, I'll be standing in front of 450 visitors, all waiting to see a Kavanagh marry a Grey. _Whatever._ Katherine Kavanagh will now become Katherine Grey. _Kate Grey._ It sounds terrible. _Maybe I could convince her to keep her maiden name..._ at least then, I wouldn't have to claim her as a family member.

The men line up out front with Elliot and I can already feel hundreds of pairs of eyes on us. My eyes sweep over the congregation and I can see how very little are family and how many are business associates. Elliot and Kate's wedding is a social gathering for my father, her father, and all their friends. I'm sure Miss Kavanagh is just loving all the limelight. I really hope Ana wants a more intimate wedding. I can't imagine her wanting to parade around in front of hundreds of people in a big, poofy dress. _God, please let it be poofy and not tight and sexy._ I might have a fucking coronary.

The soft music changes and the doors close. _About fucking time._ I watch as the ushers usher in our grandparents and our parents, my mother crying and smiling at Elliot on her way down. I almost chuckle at my hot mess of a mother. I don't understand why women get so emotional at these things.

I try my best to wait patiently with my right hand clasped over my left like I'm supposed to, but my brother keeps fidgeting and I want to wring his neck. He's nervous and I wonder what's going through his mind. Hopefully, he isn't regretting his decision to ask the little...to ask _Kate_ to marry him.

The bridesmaids start filing in, one at a fucking time. There are seven in all and I'm just about bored out of my mind when Elliot nudges me with his elbow and I look up to see my girl walking towards me. _Holy fuck._ She smiles at me and I pick my jaw up off the floor as my eyes run up and down her beautiful body.

She's wearing a dark red, satin dress that flows around her feet as she walks. It has a crystal belt and silver sequins along the top. Her hair is up, her neck exposed, showing off her beautiful choker. She's standing tall, her chin up, and I know she's proud to wear it. Her face is painted, her lips deep red and her eyes smoky, making her look doll-like. She's perfection in human form. I watch as she sashays up to the front and I find that my palms are itching to feel the material around her hips. Her eyes remain on mine as she walks, and I can't help but think that the next time she walks up the aisle, she'll become Anastasia Grey. _Now that's a beautiful name._ She gives me one last smile and she turns to her left and takes her place next to Mia.

The music changes again and the Minister tells everyone to rise. I somehow completely missed the flower girl and ring bearer, but I can't take my eyes off Anastasia long enough to care. I watch her watch Kate come down the aisle, hearing everyone else ooh and ahh over the bride, and I see my girl start to cry and dab at her eyes as she beams at her best friend. She's truly happy for Kate and Elliot. _Why can't I be?_ It's times like these that I wished I gave a damn.

I drag my gaze away from my perfect girl and look at Kate who, although her stomach is starting to show, has chosen a tight, sexy barely there wedding dress. My eyebrows shoot up in surprise before I force my face back to it's expressionless self. _God, I hope Ana doesn't wear something like that._

I stand, watching my brother and his fiance recite their wedding vows, exchange rings, and light their unity candle, but I find my gaze drifting to Ana more than once and catch her looking at me on a few occasions, as well. I give her a wink and she blushes scarlet, bites her deep red bottom lip and looks at the floor. I turn my attention back to my brother, trying to ignore how fucking sexy she is when she plays shy. _This is a terrible time to get a boner._

"Ladies and Gentlemen...I present to you, for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Elliot Trevelyan Grey!"

Everyone claps and they make their way down the aisle and I _finally_ get to touch my girl. I meet her in the middle and stick out my arm for her to take.

"I like your necklace." I say quietly.

She giggles. "I do, too. I love it, Christian. Thank you."

"You're more than welcome, baby." I stop midway down the aisle to give her a quick kiss and hear catcalls behind me. She giggles against my lips.

"Get a move on!" Mia yells behind us and I tear my lips off of hers and continue out of the sanctuary.

When we're out in the hall, we stop next to Elliot and Kate and Ana immediately gives her a hug. "Congratulations Mrs. Grey!"

Kate giggles and squeals while she hugs her.

Elliot gives me a look and rolls his eyes; at least I'm not the only one who finds this all a bit much.

Ana hugs Elliot next and I have to force myself to not peel her off of him.

When she turns back to me, she looks over my face and giggles. "Red is not your color, Mr. Grey." She reaches up and uses her thumb to clean her lipstick off my lips.

"It isn't?" I ask, cocking an eyebrow.

She shakes her head and her eyes drift around before returning to me. "I'd much rather you be surrounded by it, sir. I like you bare."

 _Oh, fuck me._

I grip her hips and lean down to rest my forehead against hers. "The things you do to me, baby..."

She smiles up at me, but we are interrupted by Kate, telling us all to line up so the guests can come through. I will never understand why the whole damn wedding party has to stand and be subjected to every single guest.

I tuck her into my left side, keeping my arm around her waist, so that every fucking asshole in this place knows that she's mine, and begin to shake hands with a whole lot of people I don't give one shit about. Everyone keeps telling Ana how beautiful she is, while random women giggle and blush at me, sliding their numbers into my hand when they shake it. Each time, I shove it into my pocket, knowing I'll be throwing them away before the reception even starts.

Grandmother Trevelyan makes her way over and I duck down to kiss her cheek.

"Hello, Grandmother."

"Hello, grandson. Is this Anastasia?" She asks, smiling at my girl. Ana smiles back at her.

"Yes, this is my Anastasia." I answer, making her laugh.

"He's certainly claimed you, hasn't he?"

Ana giggles and nods. "Yes, he has."

"Oh, you are so beautiful, darling. No wonder he's smitten."

Ana blushes at the comment. "Well, thank you, Mrs. Trevelyan."

"No, no! There will be none of that! You call me Grandma or Betsy. None of this Missus business."

Ana giggles again and nods and my grandmother cups Anastasia's cheek with her palm. "She is just so sweet, Christian. You better snatch her up and marry this one."

I chuckle and shake my head at her nonsense. "We'll see."

"If he doesn't do it, I sure the hell will!" My Grandfather pops up out of nowhere, winking at Anastasia.

"You're already married, you nutter!"

"You can't live forever, old woman."

Anastasia laughs at their antics and all I want to do is facepalm.

"Alright, mother...you're holding up the line. Leave these two alone." My mother comes to the rescue, forcing my grandparents to move along.

"I'll find you on the dance floor later, lovely." My grandfather flirts, winking at Ana as he leaves, and my jaw hits the floor. _My own grandfather!_ He's quite the charmer, but he's the only man I know that I don't feel threatened by.

XxXxXx

Pictures take almost two hours and I can feel my control slipping more by the minute. The photographer did take a few of just Ana and me and I'm looking forward to seeing those. While we take pictures on the golf course, I can hear everyone inside enjoying cocktail hour with the open bar and I find myself a bit jealous. I'm looking forward to when I can sit down and relax with Ana.

When we eat, Elliot and Kate have a sweetheart table, which means I get to sit next to Anastasia at the head table and the food, drinks, and company of my girl brightens my mood considerably. Ana and I make our toasts, mine is short and sweet, hers long and sappy, leaving everyone in tears.

"Can I have the wedding party on the dancefloor, please?" The DJ announces after Elliot and Kate have their first dance.

"Oh, no. I'm a terrible dancer!" Ana whispers to me on the way.

I chuckle and shake my head. "You'll be fine, baby. Just follow my lead."

David Cook's 'The Time of My Life' starts and Ana looks like she has stage fright. Her eyes are wide and she's frozen in place.

I wrap an arm around her, and grab her hand in mine. "Just look at me. Don't worry about anyone else."

She nods uncertainly, but allows me to move us and takes a step with me. Slowly, I get us moving and the look of horror turns into a grin. "I'm dancing."

I smile down at her as I move us across the floor. "See? I knew you'd be fine." I wince, speaking too soon. Her heel manages to catch the tip of my toe.

"Oh, my gosh! I'm so sorry, Christian!" She tries to pull away, but I won't allow her to.

"It's fine. Just relax. Enjoy being close." I pull her flush against me and she gives me a shy smile.

"I like this." Her hand slides out of mine to rest on my chest and her head follows. I wrap both my arms around her and press my face into her hair, swaying us. I don't care if we don't go anywhere.

Too soon, the song is over and next is the bouquet toss. Ethan grabs Ana's arm before she heads out there.

"Ana! You cannot let Mia catch that bouquet! She takes these things too seriously." Ethan looks horrified and Ana laughs.

"What's in it for me?"

"I'll be eternally grateful and you'll have a beautiful bouquet as a keepsake?"

She grins. "I guess so."

"You'll try?" He looks relieved.

"I've got this, Ethan." She holds onto my arm and one-by-one, she slips her shoes off her feet. "Hold these." She shoves the silver heels at Ethan and makes her way to the crowd of women, hiking up her dark red dress.

'All The Single Ladies' start to blast through the speakers and the girls start dancing around as Kate gets into position. Mia and Ana are standing side-by-side in the middle and I can already see Mia trying to push Ana away. _Oh, Jesus Christ...here we go._

Kate asks the girls if they are ready and they all crouch down, with their hands up, ready to pounce on it. I want to say it's ridiculous, but I'm actually quite entertained. I cross my arms and relax on one leg while I watch the show.

Kate's arm is thrown in the air above her, her red bouquet flying back, but she holds onto it, faking them out. Mia tries to hip check Ana out of the way, but Ana elbows Mia in the stomach for trying.

"Oh, screw this." Ethan throws her shoes at me and I catch them just in time as he goes barreling into the group of girls, grabbing my sister on the way through. He trips on something, ends up knocking half the girls over, including himself and Mia, who falls on top of him, and I miss the bouquet even being tossed. The girls are scrambling as it's on the floor and my Ana crawls to it.

"IT'S MINE, ANA!" Mia screams, trying to free herself from her boyfriend.

"NEVER!" Ana screams back, diving on top of it while they other girls look on, giggling.

After looking up and making sure no one is going to dive for it, she makes quick work of getting up, stepping on her dress a few times as she gets up and I can't hold back my laughter anymore. When she's finally up, she stands up tall, pats her hair down and makes her way to me with a smile on her face.

I'm standing there in silent laughter, my shoulders shaking while my girl looks beyond pleased with herself.

She shakes the red bouquet at me. "I got it."

"I see that."

She bites her lip and giggles and I can't help, but pull her to me. "You are so fucking cute."

She smiles up at me. "I love watching you laugh. You're so handsome. Heartbreakingly so."

I shake my head at her. "Guess this means we'll have to get married now, Miss Steele."

She snorts and rolls her eyes. "Sure."

My smile falters. _She doesn't want to get married?_

Beyonce cuts off and a slow, sexy melody with deep bass starts to play through the speakers and Ana's eyes widen.

"They aren't!"

I'm confused. "Aren't what?"

"Please tell me they aren't going to play this music in front of your family..." Ana looks over at Kate who is now sitting in a chair with Elliot in front of her. He kneels down in front of her for the garter removal.

 _I lose all control_  
 _When you grab ahold_  
 _And you do your trick_  
 _I love it when you lick_

 _Lick_

 _You've got lock and key_  
 _Every part of me_  
 _Know what makes me tick_  
 _I love it when you lick_

 _Holy. Shit._ I've never heard of the song, but it's sexy. _I want to use this for the playroom..._ Just the thought of this playing while I play with Ana is making my pants tighter.

I look down at my girl and she looks horrified that the song is still playing. I look up to see my brother with his head under Kate's dress, using his teeth to drag the garter down her leg. _Well..._ she's already pregnant...what else can my family expect? Looking around the room, everyone looks either horny or horrified. I see multiple men getting handsy with their dates and I wonder if there's about to be a baby boom around here. I snort a laugh at the thought.

He finally gets it off of her and the song quiets until it's no longer playing.

"Well...that was quite a show...now, can I have all the single men out on the dance floor please?"

I watch the fuckers make their way to the dance floor, but I stay put. I am not about to fight over something that's been around Kate's leg all day and then in my brother's mouth.

I am being pushed and see that Ana is pushing me towards the group of guys. "Go on! Shoo!" She gives me a hard push and then smacks my ass to get me going and, for some reason, my legs continue on their own accord, but I give her a scowl over my shoulder as she smiles at me.

I make my way to the group and stand there with my arms crossed while the others are elbowing each other and acting like assholes. 'Bad To The Bone' starts to play and I just shake my head. _These two._

My brother turns his back to us and lifts his hands, making a makeshift slingshot to shoot the garter at us. At the last second he turns and shoots it straight at me, the red and white garter hitting my chest. Reflexively I reach up and take it and he squeezes my shoulder.

"You're next, bro."

I look down at the garter and back up to him. _I'm not sure about that._ The other men leave the dance floor and he must notice my mood change, because he steers me straight to the bar to get a drink.

"You can have this back." I tell him, handing it to him.

"It's yours."

I shake my head. "You slobbered all over it." _And Kate sweat all over it._

He laughs and shrugs, shoving it in his pocket.

"Two tequila shots!" He yells over the now booming music to the bartender.

 _Tequila?_

We're presented with the salt, a lime, and the shot.

"Are we really doing this?"

He grins and nods.

 _Man up, Grey. If your brother wants to do a shot with you on his wedding day, let him._

I lick my hand by my thumb, shake the salt onto it and hold up my shot to toast. Lick, Shot, Lime. _Damn that's rough._

I cough and place the shot glass, upside down, on the bar.

"You going to tell me what's up?" Elliot asks, doing the same with his glass.

I shake my head.

"You are one stubborn asshole, you know that?"

I laugh and shrug my shoulders.

"Do one more shot with me and I'll leave you alone."

I agree and afterward, I leave Elliot with our cousins who have come up to do a shot with him. I find Mia and Ana sitting at one of the tables and make my way toward them.

"...hot pink and navy blue would be what I'd pick. What about you, Ana? I picture you wanting something pastel." I hear Mia ask Ana.

"Um...well, I've always pictured an antique white wedding...maybe with a hint of blush pink." I stop in my tracks.

"Won't you just blend in if it's white?"

Ana shakes her head. "No. I'd have a blush wedding gown. I can't imagine white looking flattering against this skin."

 _Suddenly, I have an idea._

"Christian!" I've been spotted by Mia.

Ana spins quickly in her chair, looking horrified. "Christian..." She stands up and I notice she's got her heels back on. "Were you listening to us?"

 _Lie._ "No...did I miss something good?" I grin at her and her body relaxes.

"No, Mia was just going on and on about her wedding with Ethan."

I cock an eyebrow. "Is there a wedding with Ethan?"

She smiles. "I don't know if there will _ever_ be a wedding with Ethan."

The song changes to something slow and I grin. "Dance with me."

"But..."

"No buts."

I pull her out on the dance floor as Billy Currington starts singing 'Must Be Doing Something Right'.

 _A woman is a mystery a man just can't understand  
_ _Sometimes all it takes to please her is a touch of her hand  
And other times, you've gotta take it slow and hold her all night long  
Heaven knows there's so many ways a man go wrong_

 _I must be doin' something right  
I just heard you sigh  
You leaned into my kiss and closed those deep blue, need you eyes  
I don't know what I did to earn a love like this, but baby I  
Must be doin' something right_

She looks up at me and grins. "You do everything right."

I return her grin. "Good to know, baby."

She sighs and rests her head against my chest. "I love this song."

"It's ours, now, yea?" I ask, kissing her hair.

She closes her eyes and smiles, nodding. "Yes, please."


	16. Detroit

**A/N: Ana is not pregnant. They will not have a surprise pregnancy. Sorry to those of you hoping.**

It's been a week and a half since the wedding and it took a week for my men to find the owner of the ring I have my eye on. Since Monday, I have been in constant communication with the man via Skype. We've gone back and forth about what it's worth and what amount would be sufficient for him to part with it. I haven't been able to fly there myself, so I sent the top diamond specialist from Seattle to meet with the man to look at the ring and appraise it. I am not taking any chances that it's not the ring I have in mind. He'd be a dead man if he tried to swindle me.

I've been waiting all morning for the professional to contact me to seal the deal, but it's almost lunch and still nothing. I'm starting to get impatient.

There is a knock on my door and Taylor enters. I grin, knowing he's going to tell me that he has the man on the phone. When seeing the look on his face, I know it's not the case. My grin drops and I wait for him to make his way through my office and he sits in the chair opposite of me.

"We've found something on Hyde."

My heart drops into my stomach. "And?"

"He changed his name when he turned eighteen. Before, his name was Peter Jackson. There's a run-down building in Detroit that a man by the name of Peter Jackson bought just after Jack Hyde left for Detroit. I'm sending men there today to check it out."

I shake my head. "I have to see this for myself." _Hopefully, we catch the fucker._

Taylor opens his mouth, but then closes it again and nods. "Yes, sir."

"Call and have the plane ready after lunch."

"And Miss Steele?" Taylor asks, obviously worried.

"She'll stay with Sawyer and Prescott." _I will not have her anywhere near that fucker._

He sighs and nods again.

"Call Gail and have her prepare a few days clothes for both of us."

As he leaves, I stand and make my way to my elevator to head to Ana's office.

When I step off of the elevator, I'm greeted by Hannah.

"Hello, Mr. Grey."

I give her a smile. "Hello, Hannah. Is Miss Steele available?"

"Yes, sir. She's in her office."

I give her a nod and continue towards her office, not bothering to knock, and open the door.

Ana looks up from a stack of papers on her desk and smiles as I close the door.

"Hello, Mr. Grey. When can I do for you?" She stands and makes her way over to me, wrapping her arms around my waist.

I smirk. "I can think of many things you can do for me..." She bites her lips and her cheeks redden, but I force myself to ignore it. "Let's go to lunch."

She smiles. "Oh, great. Let me get my handbag." She releases my waist and goes to her desk, pulling her handbag out of the drawer.

I take her hand and we make our way down the elevator and towards the front door.

"Wait...where is Taylor?" She asks, dragging her feet before we make it to the revolving doors. I don't want to explain everything here.

"He's busy. We'll be okay. I won't let anything happen to you." I assure her.

Her eyebrows knit together. "But what if something happens to you?"

I wrap my arms around her and kiss her nose. "Nothing is going to happen to me. Come on, baby. It's just across the street."

She chews the corner of her lip for a second and then nods. "Okay."

I ask for a table inside so we aren't out in the open and we sit in the corner by a window, me facing the door so that I can watch who comes in and out.

"Hello, my name is Deshawn and I'll be your waiter. May I take your drink order?"

I look up from my menu to Anastasia. "Iced tea?"

She smiles and nods.

"We'll have two iced teas, no lemon." I state, looking up at our waiter. He's got mocha colored skin and dark brown eyes. His hair is cut short and he looks to still be in high school.

As he leaves, I look back at Ana. "What sounds good, baby?"

"Hmm...I think I'll have the chicken Caesar wrap with their house-made chips."

 _That does sound good..._ "I think I'll do the same."

The waiter drops our teas off and I order for both of us. Once he's gone, I take a sip of my tea and place it back down, clearing my throat.

"Anastasia...I need to let you know that Taylor and I will be leaving for Detroit this afternoon."

She stops stirring the sweetener into her tea and looks up at me. "What?"

"We've got a lead on Hyde."

Her eyebrows knit together. "But...why do you have to go? Can't they handle it? Isn't that why you pay them?" She's starting to panic and her voice is rising.

I take her hand and squeeze it. "Calm down, baby. They can, but I want to go."

She shakes her head. "No. No, you can't."

"No?" _Is she giving me an order?_

"Christian, he's after you! What if he does something to you? What if he's actually here and he comes after me? You can't just leave!" Tears have filled her eyes and a few fall. I lean over the small table and wipe them away quickly.

"Everything will be fine, Ana. I promise. Sawyer and Prescott will be here with you and I'll have a whole team with me."

She looks down at our hands. "I don't want you to go away."

I squeeze her hand. "I'm sorry, baby. I need to do this." I don't know why, but I feel the pull to Detroit.

"How long will you be gone?" She clenches her jaw to keep it from trembling and my heart breaks watching her try to keep it together. _She really is panicking over this._

"Just a couple of days."

She eyebrows knit together and her bottom lip is stuck out in a pout, but I don't think she realizes it. I know her body has been thrown into overdrive, a multitude of emotions exploding at once.

Our waiter comes, placing our chicken Caesar wraps in front of us, and I thank him.

I pick up my wrap to eat, but my eyes fall on Anastasia and she's just staring at her plate.

"Eat."

"I'm not hungry."

I sigh. I really should have waited until she ate before dropping this bomb. "Baby, please eat."

She shakes her head and an arm goes around her stomach. "My stomach is too upset."

I lift my arm and wave the waiter over to us. "Pack this up, please."

Five minutes later I'm carrying a bag with our styrofoam containers and we're both carrying a plastic cup with the remainder of our tea. I take her straight to Grey House, up to the twentieth floor and into my office. I place our food on my desk and turn to see Ana still standing by the door with her head bowed.

"Baby, come here."

She looks up at me and I open my arms, willing her to come. She sobs and launches herself at me, sobbing into my chest.

"Hey...shhh, everything will be fine, angel." When she seems to continue to fall apart, I pick her up and carry her over to the leather couch, holding her in my lap. She curls up and squeezes me tight while she continues to sob into my neck.

I continue to try to quiet her down, telling her that I am right here and that everything is okay. I rub her back in circles and I know if I can't get her to calm down soon, I'll have to stay.

"Tell me why you're so upset...what are you feeling?" I know she needs to sort this in her head. I'm hoping by making her say it, it will help calm her.

She sniffles and turns her head enough so that she can answer me. "I-I fuh-feel out of control." She sucks in a shuddering breath, trying to calm her sobs.

"Why do you feel that way? You know I take care of you."

"Because you'll be gone."

I press my lips against her hair. "It doesn't matter where I am, Anastasia. I'm still yours...and you're mine."

"What if something happens to you? I can't bear the thought of you being hurt or...or..." She hides into my neck and lets out another sob.

"Hey...shhh, nothing is going to happen to me. I've got three men with guns coming with me. Taylor is coming." _I trust Taylor with every fiber of my being._

She sniffles and sits up a little, looking at me. "I'm scared for you."

I give her a reassuring smile. "I'll be fine, baby. All we're going to do is check out a lead and come home. I'll leave today and should be back on Friday."

"Promise me you won't stay the weekend."

I chuckle. "I won't. Even if they have to stay, I'll come home."

She gives me a small smile. "Okay."

Relief floods through my body. "Okay. Will you eat lunch with me before I go?"

She nods. "Yes."

"Thank you, Ana." I kiss her forehead before she stands up and she heads to my bathroom to freshen up while I pull our food out and place it on my desk.

An hour and a half later we're boarding the plane to Detroit. I left Ana with Sawyer and gave him strict directions not to leave Ana unattended. He and Prescott will trade off on twelve hour shifts, Prescott staying overnight at Escala with Anastasia and Gail. I text Kate and let her know that I will be gone for a couple days and ask her to check on Ana. I know that Kate and I don't get along, but she cares for my Ana and I know that she'll preoccupy her while I am gone.

Taylor has convinced me that we shouldn't go looking for the building in the dark, so when we touch down we will check into the hotel and have dinner and retire for the evening before heading out in the morning. It's just over four hours later that we touch down in Detroit and I pull out my phone to text my girl.

 _*Made it to Detroit.*_

I get a message back almost instantly. _*Please, be careful.*_

 _*I'll call you after dinner.*_

 _*I'll be waiting.*_

It's past 9:00 pm in Detroit by the time I make it back to the hotel room. I slip off my clothes and climb into the bed in my boxer-briefs before Skyping Ana. We lay in bed and Skype all night, falling asleep with it on. When I wake up, my tablet is dead and I'm disappointed. I was hoping to catch her sleeping. Looking at the time, I see that it's half passed five. I've got a few hours until day break and I'm strung to tight to go back to bed. I grab my phone and text Taylor, telling him I'll be in the hotel gym and search through my bag for my sweats.

I spend almost two hours in the gym before I feel better, but I'm not sure if I really feel better or if I'm just too exhausted and sore to care. I take a forty-minute shower, using the hot water to work the kinks out of my back, and dress myself for the day. My cell begins to vibrate and I grab it, seeing that it's Shawn, the diamond specialist I sent.

"Grey."

"Hello, Mr. Grey. I apologize about the delay. Mr. Winston has been a difficult man to bargain with."

"It's alright. So what have we decided?"

I hear him sigh. "Mr. Winston won't part with the ring for anything less than forty-six.

I cringe. _How did this go from twenty-five million to almost double?_

"The ring was about to go up for auction, but another buyer has called and offered forty-five. If you pull out, he's going to sell it to them."

"Fuck. I need that ring, Shawn."

"So...forty-six?"

I clench my jaw. "Yes...if you get on that fucking plane tonight and bring it back with you." I'm paying this fucker a cool million just to do this.

"I'll tell Mr. Winston."

"Once you've got it in your possession and have verified that it's the ring, contact my assistant, Andrea Parker, with the bank account details. She'll transfer the money."

"Yes, sir."

Once we're off the phone, I email Andrea and give her the specifics on the situation. _I cannot wait to have that ring in my possession._ If all goes well, by Monday, Anastasia's girlfriend label will be replaced with a new one.

 _I can't wait._

XxXxXx

On our way through the sketchy part of Detroit, I begin to wonder why the fucker would buy an abandoned building. How would a moldy, run-down building be any benefit to him? Surely, he can afford something other than what he bought. I gaze out the window on our way and have a weird deja vu moment. Something about these streets look familiar. I know I came from Detroit. _Have I been here before?_

"Two minute warning." Taylor announces from the driver's seat while I sit in back. The other two men on the project are in front of us in another SUV. Sabolo and Adekoya are their names, but I've never met them in person. Taylor has kept in contact with both of the men and has been their immediate supervisor. I had started to lose confidence that they knew what the fuck they were doing, but if this really is true...if this really is the place Hyde bought, I'll give all three of them a bonus.

As I continue to look out, a feeling of dread starts to wash over me and my stomach begins doing backflips. I almost tell Taylor to abort, until he pulls up to the building.

 _No fucking way._

My eyes lock onto the rundown building that looks like it might at once been a motel, turned into an apartment building. My heart is pounding out of my chest, I'm starting to sweat uncontrollably and all I can do is stare.

There are cracks in the worn concrete of the parking lot, weeds sprouting up in every break. The building is more than run down, holes in the roof can be seen even from my spot in the car. Multiple doors have been replaced with plywood and my eyes wander to the third door from the end. _No plywood_. There's an actual door. the handle of the door is gold and shining in the sunlight. _It's been added recently._

Taylor opens my car door and I slide out, keeping my eyes on the door. The other two come over to try and introduce themselves properly, but I just wave them off.

"Start searching the building." Taylor tells them, seeing that I'm preoccupied.

The men disappear, heading for the first door, and I can hear them begin to kick the plywood in. I go straight towards the third to last apartment.

"Mr. Grey!" Taylor calls, hurrying after me. "Let me check it first."

I stop in my tracks and blink at him. _Of course. I'm being ridiculous._

He looks over my pale, sweaty face and a look of worry appears on his. "Is everything alright?"

I swipe at my bottom lip with my tongue. "I use to live here."

The blood drains from his own face. "What?"

I nod. "Before I was adopted. With the crack whore."

I continue toward the apartment. _How does he know?_ It isn't a fucking coincidence. Hyde knows more than I ever thought he'd ever.

Taylor hurries ahead of me and puts and arm out, forcing me to stop. He touches the earpiece in his ear, but doesn't say anything. I guess the beep was enough for the other two to get the hint, because seconds later they come hustling over to us.

"This one." Taylor states.

Sabolo gives Taylor and nod and pulls his gun out of his pocket before giving the door a swift kick. The door is newer, but the wood surrounding it is old and it only takes one kick for it to fall away. He raises his gun and enters, Adekoya following.

Taylor stills, cocking his head, listening hard. I do the same, hoping to hear anything that's going on in the apartment.

A minute later, the men come out and Sabolo makes eye contact with me. "It's empty, but there's something you need to see."

My heart drops into my stomach. I swallow the bile that's rising into my throat and force my legs forward.

I take a step into the apartment, onto the same old green shag carpet. _I can't fucking believe this is happening._ The furniture is gone and plaster from parts of the ceiling has fallen, crumbling against the moldy carpet. I force myself into the middle of the room and look out the 6-pane glass windows. _The same, god-damned windows I looked out of for years_...the same ones I pounded on when the crack whore wouldn't wake up. The same ones where neighbors saw me, but ignored me.

Taylor stands at the door and watches me closely. I ignore his stare, a little annoyed that he is probably thinking I'm a ticking time-bomb, and continue through the tiny apartment. Same old yellow fridge that was always empty. Same old burned-up stove. My eyes travel to the brown cabinet below the now-missing sink. It's still splintered and broken from when the pimp came looking for me while the crack whore lay in the floor under my blue blanket. I can still smell the stale cigarettes and alcohol on his breath and my nose actually wrinkles at the memory. _Fucking bastard._

I hear Taylor following me. _Where are the other two?_ I look back through the front window and they're both standing there, fidgeting. Taylor must have told them to wait.

I force myself to continue forward, stepping into the short hallway. To the left is where the crack whore slept. For some reason, I find myself sticking my head into the room to look around. The closet door is open and I can see faint crayon marks still along the bottom wall of the closet and my stomach rolls. I step back and out of the room. I don't need anymore flashbacks right now. The door to my old room has been replaced and there are two dead bolts, a chain lock and a handle lock on this side of the door. The door jam around the door has also been replaced, reinforcing it. _The fucker definitely doesn't want something getting out._ I force my mind out of the thought of what that something _or someone_ could be.

The door is ajar and I push the door open. It creaks, opening slowly, and I wait for my eyes to adjust to the dark room. The window is boarded up, there is new wood paneling lining the walls and the ceiling, hiding the deterioration of the plaster behind it. I can make out a mattress on the floor and I pull my phone out to use my flashlight app. Taylor does the same and we both step in. The light hits the floor and I see chains bolted to the floor around the mattress, packs of water bottles packed in the corner unopened. My flashlight sweep across the wall and taped up are pictures. I step up quickly and my stomach plummets.

Pictures of Anastasia are taped up, like a fucking shrine. Her alone, her with Kate and Mia, her and Sawyer, her and I. Pictures of her at The Mile High Club in her red dress, shopping with the girls, walking into SIP, walking down the street with security...I feel nauseous. I bend over, grabbing my knee for support with my free hand. _He was planning on bringing her here. Keeping her here. Away from everyone...everything._

Taylor looks over the wall quietly and continues across the room. My eyes follow him, but I keep my stance with my head ducked close to my legs. There is a small desk and he reaches down and opens something.

"Oh, fuck." He hisses and I'm next to him before I even realize my legs have moved.

"What?" I bark, shining my flashlight over the table. There are multiple prescription bottles along with syringes, rags and small bottles of bleach and acetone. _Homemade chloroform._

I force my eyes off the shit on the desk and concentrate on what Taylor is looking at. It's a notebook. On the page is a drawing of a woman tied up and Ana's face is pasted onto the body.

"Oh my God." I look up at the ceiling and I can't even believe this is happening. I hear Taylor turn the page and my head snaps back down. More drawings, different ways of binding her...and detailed notes on ways to torture. I turn the page...page after fucking page...and her face is pasted on every fucking drawing.

I throw my phone down and take the notebook, ripping out page after page. "YOU SICK FUCK!" I tear the whole fucking book in half. _His mother fucking torture journal._

"I'll kill the fucker. Find him, Taylor, and bring him to me. Fuck the police." _The fucker thinks he can torture my Ana?_ He doesn't know what torture is. _He'll be begging for me to kill him._

My body is shaking. My stomach has turned sour, but I swallow a few times, ignoring it.

"Sir..." Taylor states, trying to get my attention.

I'm kneeling and I don't know how I got here. I turn my head towards Taylor and his flashlight is shining against a bunch of objects on the wall. _A crowbar, a baseball bat, and a spreader bar._

My stomach lurches and my palms hit the floor as my breakfast makes its way back up, splattering all over the floor.

"Christian!" I don't even have time to process what he called me before he's huddled over me, pulling me up from under my arms. "Are you okay? We should go."

I shake my head and wipe the side of my mouth with the back of my hand. _I'll mutilate the fucker._

I make my way over to the shit in the corner and choose the crowbar, weighing it in my hand. I strike the air a few times, doing some practice swings before I start on the desk. The crowbar crashes into everything on the desk, the shit flying across the room before I start striking the wooden desk with the crowbar, splintering and breaking it into hundreds of pieces. When I feel like I've sufficiently torn it up, I begin on the wall with my baby's pictures plastered all over it. I pierce it with the bar, knocking a hole in it, and then proceed to take out the wall and my aggression. I continue to tear the shit out of the place, screaming as I go. Taylor stays out of my way and it's a good fucking choice. I don't stop until there's a cloud of smoke from the plaster and I'm out of breath.

"Light it up." I tell Taylor, throwing the iron across the room.

"But Mr. Grey..."

I shake my head. "Burn the fucker." _I want him to know we're on to him. I want him to know there's no fucking place to hide._

I make my way back out to the car and see Adekoya already making his way over to the car with a old, cut up hose and a bucket. As I lean against the car to watch, I see him open the gas tank to their SUV and siphon the gas into the bucket. Sabolo searches the back of their SUV and appears with a couple of white t-shirts and a box of matches. _Why does it seem like they've done this before?_

Twenty minutes later, we're all standing by the SUV's and the apartment that use to be my home is finally being engulfed in flames.

"All the evidence we had has now gone up in flames, Mr. Grey." Taylor states, disappointed.

I shake my head. "We don't need fucking evidence. The bastard is mine." _He'll be wishing police found him._

Another twenty minutes and half the apartment building is on fire. We hear fire trucks in the distance and Taylor cocks his eyebrow at me.

"Let's go."

We hop in the SUV's and book it out of there before the fire department and police make it.

At the hotel, I go straight to the shower to wash all this shit off of me. I'm finally alone and I find myself gripping the wall of the shower while I sob. I'm angry, I'm frustrated, and I feel completely out of control. I knew this fucker had problems, but his problems go deeper than I could ever have imagined. This asshole is a fucking sociopath. He wants my Anastasia and I don't know if he wants her because she's mine or because she turned him down or because he can't get her out of his mind. _He planned on kidnapping her, binding her, and using the same fucking spreader bar that hangs in my playroom to keep her open for him to..._ I shake my head. _Don't go there, Grey._

After what seems like an eternity, I turn the water off and dry myself before dropping into bed naked. I feel exhausted and don't even bother to cover myself before falling asleep.

XxXxXx

I'm jolted awake by pounding on my door.

"Mr. Grey! I'm coming in!" Taylor yells, before opening the door to my hotel room. He looks me over, seeing me naked and on my stomach in the bed, my hair probably a mess from falling asleep with it wet.

"Are you drunk?"

I snort and roll to my front, throwing the duvet over me. "No. I took a shower and fell asleep." _Liquor isn't a half-bad idea though._

"Miss Steele called me, asking if you were okay."

 _Fuck._ "Ana." I jump out of bed to grab my phone out of my jeans pocket in the bathroom floor. Taylor stands there, unaffected by his naked, crazy boss who's frantically searching for his cell phone. _He really does deal with a lot of shit._

Pulling my phone out of my jeans pocket, I see multiple calls and texts from Ana. I pull her number up and call her, but after two rings, it goes to voicemail. She's screening my phone calls. _Just fucking great._

When I make my way back out of the bathroom, I see Taylor texting on his cell phone.

"She won't answer." I tell him.

He hits a button and slides his phone back into his pocket. "Can you blame her?"

I sigh, knowing he sent her a message. "What'd you say to her?"

"That you're fine."

I chew my lip and then remember that I'm naked. I go to my bag, searching through until I find my underwear.

"Why don't we go downstairs and get some dinner?" Taylor states, sitting in the desk chair while I dress.

"I'd rather stay here."

"I don't think that's a good idea, sir." I stop buttoning my jeans and cock my eyebrow at him. "You're in your head too much. You need a break from yourself."

I sigh. "Fine." I pull a t-shirt over my head and go to the bathroom to run some water and try to pat down my bedhead. The action reminds me of my Anastasia and a dull ache begins to form in my chest.

 _I miss her._

XxXxXx

I tried calling and texting Ana multiple times last night, but she never answered. I ended up texting Prescott, asking her how Ana was doing. We're about to board the plane this morning and I try one last time to contact her.

 _*On my way home. Please be home. I need you.*_

I hold my phone as I board my plane and buckle myself and my phone vibrates. I about jump out of my skin when it does. It takes me three times before I get my phone unlocked because I'm so frantic, but when I do, I see that it is from my Ana.

 _*Okay.*_

I let out the breath I was holding. It isn't much, but it's something.

My need for Ana only intensifies with every hour I'm in the air. I keep flipping through the pictures of us on my phone, looking through our conversations via text, and watching the videos I took of her while she wasn't looking. I'm not looking forward to dealing with an upset Anastasia, but I'll take Ana any way I can get her right now. I know I've neglected her...although accidentally...and the situation needs to be dealt with in a delicate manner.

By the time we're in Escala's elevator, I'm almost panting, I'm so anxious to see her. I force myself to walk calmly out of the elevator and expect her to be in the foyer, but she isn't. I continue into the apartment and hear noises in the kitchen, so I follow them.

I suck in a breath when I see my girl standing at the counter, fixing lunch. She's barefoot and in one of my button downs with a pair of my boxer-briefs on. Her hair is piled on her head and I bet she woke up like that. I don't give a fuck. She's the most beautiful creature.

I make my way towards her and she looks up from her bowl, gasping when she sees me, but tries to look unaffected by looking back down at the bowl. _I know better._

I make my way around the counter and wrap my arms around her from behind. She releases the spoon she's holding and relaxes back against me, but she doesn't turn to return my hug. I dip down and kiss her neck a few times before nuzzling it.

"I've missed you." I say, muffled against her neck. _Fuck, she smells good._

"I'm making lunch. Are you hungry?" She completely ignores me. I'm getting pissed, but I force myself to stay calm. She's already upset with me and me throwing my weight around will only make us worse.

"Ravenous." I tell her, nipping at her neck, hoping that by flirting she'll open up to me.

"We're having chicken salad. Have a seat and I'll make your plate."

She makes me a sandwich and puts a scoop onto her plate, not bothering with the bread. She gets both of us a glass of ice water and I wait until she has a seat at the island before taking my first bite.

She's poking at her chicken, but she isn't eating it.

I put my sandwich down and sigh. "Eat, Anastasia."

She completely ignores me and continues to push her food around. I don't know how to handle this. I can't yell at her and demand that she talk to me and I can't punish her...I don't want to punish her. My sensitive girl is already hurting and I can't bare to hurt her even more...especially after what I saw yesterday. The only thing I can think of is to cuddle her.

I reach over and pull her chair over to me. She looks up at me, but doesn't say anything. I grab her and pull her into my lap so that her head is resting against my shoulder. Her calves rest against her chair and I duck down to kiss her lips. She snuggles into me and I smile. "My girl needs cuddled."

Her cheeks heat up and she gives me a shy smile before hiding in my neck. I take another bite of my sandwich and then pull her plate over to me. I grab her fork and fill it with chicken salad.

"Open up."

Her head turns to see and I hold the fork in front of her. "Open." She does as I ask and I feed her the forkful.

I take turns feeding both of us and by the time she's halfway done with her plate, I see that she's fallen asleep. _Did she even sleep last night?_

I hold her and finish my sandwich before carrying her to bed. As soon as her body hits the bed, she curls up in her little ball and I cover her before climbing in on my side. She's turned away from me, so I reach out and stroke her hair, massaging her scalp. Her breathing evens out and so I stop. It only takes a second before she reaches back, searching for my hand and grabs it, putting it back on her head.

I laugh. "Get over here."

She giggles and rolls over to me, snuggling into my side with her head on the front of my shoulder. I wrap an arm around her and hold her flush against me.

"I'm sorry I didn't answer my phone. I fell asleep and was out cold. I didn't mean to." I explain, while I slip my hand under the shirt and begin to rub circles on her soft hip with my thumb.

"I was so worried, Christian."

I sigh. _I can imagine what was going through her mind._ "I'm sorry."

"You're okay, so I forgive you."

I can't help, but chuckle. "So, if I wasn't, you'd still be mad?"

"Yep."

I shake my head. "Crazy girl."

She nuzzles into my shoulder and kisses it through my shirt. "I love you, Christian."

I smile. "I love you, too."

The nightmares that kept me up all night come to mind and I suddenly feel sick.

"Ana...I have a question for you."

She cranes her head to look up at me. "Okay."

"When I take you to the playroom and I tie you up and force you into certain positions...am I forcing you to do things you don't want to do?"

Her eyes widen and she props herself up on her elbow. "Christian...where is this coming from?"

"Please answer my question."

She shakes her head. "No. You don't force me to do anything. Christian...I beg for it."

I can't stop thinking about the spreader bar we found in the building. I don't want to be like that fucker.

"Baby, where is this coming from?"

 _I can't tell her what we found._ "I was just thinking about how it all might look to others outside our lifestyle."

She grins, so I know I've covered myself well. "You mean the kinky lifestyle?"

I laugh. "Yea, I guess so."

She climbs on top of me and lays like she usually does and I officially feel like I'm home. I wrap both arms around her and kiss the top of her head.

"I love everything we do. I love our kinky-fuckery. Please stop second guessing it."

"I'll do my best."

She cranes her head and kisses my chin. "Can we have make-up sex now?"

 _I don't know about kinky-fuckery, but making love to her sounds perfect right now._ I flip us over quickly, making her giggle, and pull her bottoms off before undressing myself. She busies herself with her own shirt, throwing it in the pile with the rest of the clothes.

"Long and slow?" I ask as I lay back down on top of her.

She smiles and nods. "Yes, please."

 **A/N: I will reveal the ring in the next chapter on my Pinterest. I'm interested, though, if any of you know which ring they're speaking of? It took me a bit of digging to find what I was looking for and want to know if anyone else knows of the ring I'm referring to. I know I didn't give many hints in the chapter.**


	17. The Engagement

I wake up on Saturday before Ana and stretch, getting up to fetch myself some water. We spent Friday evening in bed, watching movies and making love and I feel parched. Gail is in the kitchen, making food and I stop in my tracks.

"Gail...it's Saturday."

She smiles. "I know, but I wanted to be here when you woke up."

"Why?" I ask, pulling a water out of the fridge.

"Because Jason has something for you."

My water stops halfway to my mouth. "He does?"

She smiles and nods. My water gets thrown onto the counter and I run like a child on Christmas to the door of their wing. I hear Gail giggling behind me as I make my way through, but I don't care. I spent a lot of money on this piece of jewelry and I want to see it in person.

I knock three times and Taylor opens the door, a black velvet box in his hand. He hands me the box and I yank it out of his hand, running to my office. I don't want to chance that Ana will wake up and catch me. When I get there, the door is locked and I curse under my breath.

"I've got it, sir." Taylor sounds amused and pulls his keys out of his pocket.

Once he has it open, we enter my office and he shuts the door behind him. I open the velvet box and a slow grin appears on my face. _It's perfect._ I was half-worried it'd be too big on my angel's finger, but it'll be fine. It's big, but perfect. Everything she deserves. I pull it out of the box and hold it between my fingers, going to the window to let the sun hit the pink diamond.

 _The Graff pink diamond:_ 24.78 carats, the color defined as 'fancy intense pink', and labeled as one of the greatest diamonds ever discovered. It's in the top two-percent of diamonds and as close to perfect as a diamond could be. It was supposed to go to auction in 2010, but Winston pulled out at the last minute. He decided that this year it'd go to auction, but thank fuck I pinned him down first. It's named after Lawrence Graff ***** , who appraised it and who it's named after. The diamond is emerald cut with rounded corners, and is mounted on a platinum band with two flanking shield-shaped diamonds. I cannot wait to put it on my Ana's finger.

There's a knock on the door and Taylor and I just look at each other.

"It's me!" I hear Gail's voice and my shoulders relax.

Taylor opens the door and she slips in. "Can I see it now? Jason wouldn't let me see it until you did."

I smile and hold it out for her to see.

"Mr. Grey! It's beautiful!" She grabs her chest and there's actually tears in her eyes, making me laugh. _Women and weddings..._ "I am so excited for you!" She throws her arms around me, shocking me to my core.

"GAIL!" Taylor barks, stepping forward to grab her.

My arms find their way around her by their own accord and Taylor stops in his tracks.

"Thank you, Gail." I tell her, hugging her to me.

"You deserve this, Mr. Grey. You deserve to be happy and I think Ana is such a wonderful girl." I beam at her words and squeeze her once more before dropping my arms.

"What a lovely thing to say, Gail. Thank you."

She releases me and wipes at her eyes, laughing. "What is it about women and weddings?"

I grin. _My thoughts exactly._

XxXxXx

"Christian! Where are we going?" Anastasia is sitting in the passenger seat of my R8, beaming. I think she's feeding off my positive energy cause I've been giddy the whole day. I've danced her across the great room probably half a dozen times, chased her throughout the house just to hold her down and tickle her mercilessly so I could listen to her giggle, and I haven't been able to keep my hands off of her. She kept asking me why I was in such a mood, but I kept playing it off. Now, we're on our way up a dirt road in the woods so we can go for a small walk to watch the sunset. I have more than one surprise for her tonight and I'm having trouble keeping control of my emotions.

"You'll see." I answer, unable to keep my grin off my face. I reach over for her hand and bring it to my lips, kissing the back of it. Hopefully, there will be a large rock hanging off of it in a couple of hours. "I love you."

"I love you, too." She looks over at me and giggles. "I love seeing you like this."

"Like what?"

"Like a little boy on Christmas. I've never seen you so animated before."

"I like surprising you, baby."

Her shoulders raise in excitement and she looks out her window. "Well, I'm definitely surprised, 'cause I have no idea where we are going."

I pull to the side of the road and turn off the car, seeing the black SUV housing security in it, about 50 yards up. We climb out and just as she makes it to my side of the car, I take her hand.

"We're going to go for a walk."

"A walk?" She looks down at her flat blush and brown sandals and then back at me. "I'm not sure I'm wearing the proper footwear." I've picked her out a blush pink sun dress and sandals on purpose and paired it with a white cardigan to keep her arms warm.

"It's an easy walk." I guide her through the grass and up a small hill before it levels out and keeps going into the woods. She releases my hand and hooks her arm in mine, leaning her head into my bicep.

"I like you in pink." She mentions.

I smile down at her. I'm wearing a pink button-down so that we're matching. "I like you in pink, too, Anastasia." I like how it brings out how alabaster her skin is without washing her out.

The ground is a little wet and I notice her feet keep sliding in her sandals, making me frown. _Maybe I did choose the wrong footwear._

"Do you want me to carry you, baby?" I ask, looking at her shoes.

She looks down and stops. "No, I'll just take them off." She pulls her shoes off and my heart jumps in my chest. _What if she steps on something sharp?_

"Anastasia. I don't know if that's a good idea."

She gives me a sweet smile. "I'll be alright, Christian. The grass is soft." She's got the back of her shoes in one hand and offers her other hand to me. "Walk with me, Christian."

When she asks so sweetly, I know I can't deny her. _I love sweet Ana._

We continue to walk and along the way, she finds a fallen log and jumps up on it, walking on it like a balance beam.

My jaw clenches, worried she'll fall and hurt herself. I definitely don't want anything to ruin this night.

"Woman, are you trying to give me a heart attack?" I stand close to her, ready to catch her if need be.

She giggles and hands me her shoes. "I was in gymnastics for ten years Christian."

 _This is new information...no wonder she's so flexible._

She lifts up on her tip toes and does a spin on it, continuing along the trunk and then jumps, does a split in the air and lands back on her feet. She then picks up her foot and holds it straight up while the other spins her around. Her pink satin panties are showing, but since we're alone, I enjoy the show.

"We'll have to try that position in the playroom, Miss Steele." My jeans are getting tighter just thinking about it.

She giggles and relaxes her foot back down before hopping off the log.

"It seems new equipment will need to be added to the gym."

She beams up at me and slips her hand into mine. "That would be lovely, sir. Thank you."

The vision of her naked on the beam pops into my head and I'm tempted to take her against a tree. "You're welcome, baby. I want to buy you everything your heart desires."

She gives me a shy smile. "I only desire you, Christian."

 _Fuck, she's amazing._ I don't even know what to say. I just grin back at her as we continue to walk.

It's another five minutes before we come to the grassy clearing.

Anastasia inhales sharply when she sees the view. "Christian, it's incredible here!"

She hurries across the grassy clearing, not bothering to wait for me and I laugh. Ahead is a meadow full of wild flowers, a round clearing in the middle I had mowed, and beyond that is a low cliff that drops into the Puget Sound. The sun is across from us, mirroring on the water and it couldn't be a more perfect sight. Ana hurries along to the round clearing where a thick blanket is laying, and I enjoy watching the way her dress dances around her knees.

She stops and looks over her shoulder at me with the largest smile on her face. "Come on, slow poke!"

I chuckle and jog my way up to her, grabbing her under her legs and back and spin her. She squeals and giggles and I plop us down on the blanket, sitting her on my lap. Sitting sideways, she wraps an arm around my neck, kissing me soundly.

"I love you so much, Christian."

I bring her lips back to mine and kiss her again. "And I, you, Anastasia. You're everything to me, baby. You're my life."

She brings her knees up and snuggles into me, her face in my neck, and I hold her close to me.

"Are we going to watch the sunset, Christian?"

"Mmhmm." I answer, burying my nose in her hair.

"You're so lovely, sir." Her head lifts and she looks off in the distance. "What if the owners catch us?"

I turn to look at the large house in the distance and smile. "They won't."

"What's this?" Anastasia asks, finally noticing the book laying on the blanket with us. It's a weathered book with a silver heart on the front, with 'Once Upon A Time' stamped into the heart.

I smile. "I thought you could read it to me."

"C and A..." She states, her fingers running over the page marker with our initials. "You had this made?" She looks up at me.

I nod. "I did."

She opens it to the first page and sees that it's filled with hand-written pages from me. Looking up at me, she looks confused.

"They're journal entries. Everything I've ever written about you is in there."

I watch her face break into a large grin and she looks up at me. "I didn't know you wrote."

I shrug. "No one does. When I was seeing Flynn, he encouraged me to start, but I never did...until the vacation house. You brought such strong emotions out of me, I didn't know how else to get them out while stuck in a house with my family. I ended up enjoying it and I never stopped."

"You want to share something so intimate with me? This is so private, Christian..." She looks back down at the front and her fingers run over the edge of the metal heart.

"Yes. You shared with me your secret and I want to do the same."

"This is incredible." She shakes her head. " _You_ are incredible."

"Read it to me." I urge and she grins up at me.

She turns away from me and settles between my legs and she starts on the first page.

 _"Sunday, July 10th, 2011. Against my better judgement, I have decided to start journaling, per Flynn's request. Paper trails are critical in business, but the thought of having written evidence of my inner thoughts just sitting around is, in all honestly, terrifying. In the wrong hands, it could be devastating. Although I have my reservations, I still find myself writing, because I have no other way to relieve my frustration, anxiety, confusion...fuck. The fact that I can't control these things, makes me feel aggressive. Murderous even._

 _"I came into this fucking vacation house already full of rage, because I knew I had to deal with my perfect parents and my perfect siblings...who, I'm sure, don't want anything to do with their fucked up brother. On top of already being enraged for allowing myself to be guilted into this place by my mother, I find that it isn't just a family vacation, but the invitation had been extended to outsiders. My brother's slag and some blonde fucker who I've probably met before, but don't remember. I find that most people aren't worth remembering, unless their business associates, and even then...it's doubtful."_

She stops and cranes her neck to look at me. "Oh, Christian...you were so angry...bitter. I never realized..." I see her start to tear up and this is the last thing I want.

"No tears, Anastasia. Keep reading." This is supposed to be a perfect evening. I don't want her pity.

She sniffles and nods, turning back to the book.

 _"There is one person, though, I know I will never forget. Anastasia."_ I watch the corner of her lips pull up into a grin, showing her dimples. _"I remember her as a mousy, dark-headed, quiet girl that had patience of a saint when dealing with my sister. It's probably been eight years since I've seen her and, although I remember her, I haven't thought of her in all those years. I was reintroduced to her tonight and she's the most beautiful thing I have ever set eyes on. She's still quiet and there's a sadness about her; she's hiding something and by the knot on her finger, I have a feeling we share the same secret._

 _"I told my mother that I wouldn't allow Anastasia to share a bathroom with me. She's affected me too much already and I don't need another fucking thing to deal with. I just wanted her to leave, so that I could try to forget about her and get through this week, so that I can go home and deal with my aggression my own way, but my sister took it upon herself to ask her to stay. She said yes, although reluctantly, and now I have to share the damn bathroom with her. How the fuck am I going to deal with this?"_

Anastasia continues to read the other few entries I made that week.

"You've skipped a few days, Christian..." Anastasia notes, seeing it jump from Wednesday to Saturday.

I grin. "I might have gotten a little distracted..."

She giggles and turns the page, continuing to read Sunday, July 17th. When she gets to towards the end, I find myself getting worked up. I never really thought of what would happen if she says no. _What if she wants a marriage...but not with someone like me? What if this causes her to run? What would I do without her?_

 _"...We leave in a couple hours and not only am I bringing the most incredible girl home with me, I'm bringing her home to play. She understands me more than I ever thought anyone could. More than Flynn, more than Elena. She's aware of my background and shares a similar lifestyle. She's sweet, submissive, kinky, and caring beyond comprehension. She's the most incredible woman and I find myself considering a word I thought I would never use for a woman. I'm fucking freaked out, but at the same time I've never been so calm. I love her. I love Anastasia."_

She grins up at me. "I love this, Christian." She kisses my lips before looking back down at the page, continuing on.

 _"It has now been six weeks since I've made that realization and if you continue to read, you'll find that soon after, I made another realization. You are my life, Anastasia. You are the only person I want to wake up to, even though your long hair has a habit of finding its way into my beard every morning, and the only person I want to fall asleep with, even though it takes you an absurdly long time to get comfortable. I want your hair to be the only hair I find trapped in my beard, in the sink, on my clothes, everywhere. I want your body to be the only one that crawls on top of me every night, the weight comforting me to sleep, and the only body I carry around the apartment on a daily basis... My Little Spider Monkey._

 _"You are mine, Anastasia, and I want to make it official. I want you to be my Anastasia Grey."_

Her whole body goes rigid and she seems to have stopped breathing. "Wha-what?" She turns her body towards me and looks up at me, looking thoroughly shocked.

"Marry me."

"No!" She gasps, her hands going to her mouth.

"No?" My eyebrows knit together and she shakes her head quickly.

"No, I don't mean no, I mean...this just-just can't be happening!" She sits on her knees and cups my cheeks. "You really want to-to...um, to marry me?"

I nod, the panic in my chest keeping me from answering. She hasn't said yes.

"Oh, Christian!" She throws her arms around my neck and I'm knocked backward as her lips find mine. She's giggling through the kiss and my mind has finally caught up, releasing the panic in my chest.

"Are you sure?" She asks, looking down at me.

I chuckle and cup her cheek. "I'm sure. Are you?"

She nods excitedly.

"You haven't said yes, yet."

Her mouth forms into an 'O', realization setting in. "Yes! Yes, of course!"

With her answer, I flip us around, attacking her lips. _She's mine. Forever. Anastasia Grey._

"Was there ever any doubt, Christian?"

I shrug. "A little. I didn't know if you'd want to marry someone like me."

She frowns. "Why wouldn't I want to marry my big lug? I don't like you talking about yourself like that. You couldn't be more perfect for me, Christian. If you don't stop the self-deprecation, I'll have to take you over _my_ knee."

"Is that so, Miss Steele?" I'm trying to sound serious, but the large grin on my face is giving me away. "I'd like to see you try."

She giggles. "Me too."

"I wouldn't mind a little wrestling..." I mention, wiggling my eyebrows at her before my lips find her throat.

She hums, urging me to nip and suck and her hips grind into mine.

"Mmm, sir..."

I know what she's going to ask and I pull myself off of her, making her pout.

"I plan on ravishing you all night, baby. Soon."

She sits up and smoothes her hair down.

"Should we make this official, baby?" I slip my hand into my pocket and pull out a black pouch with her ring in it. I ended up having to put it in this, because the ring box was too obvious in my pocket.

I uncinch the bag and the ring slips out of the bag with ease, into my open palm. I pick it up and she holds her left hand out for me. Taking it, I notice she's shaking a little. I like that her adrenaline is high. It means I'll be able to love her longer in bed tonight.

"Will you marry me, Anastasia? Last chance to run."

She giggles. "Yes, baby. I'll marry you."

I slip the ring onto her finger and its a perfect fit. Bringing her hand to my lips I kiss the knuckle above her ring finger and commit the way it looks on her to memory. When I release her hand, she holds it up and looks completely blown away.

"It's pink!" A large smile forms on her face.

I smile and pull her close to me. _She's too far away_. I kiss her temple. "Yep. I love seeing your cheeks tinge pink when you're shy, the way your other cheeks turn pink when I spank you..." I pinch her behind to make my point and she giggles. "And I thought it might match that blush pink wedding dress."

She gasps and pushes my shoulder playfully. "You fibber! You said you weren't listening!"

I chuckle and force her back against my chest. "I didn't want you to worry. It was what inspired me to buy this one."

She lifts her hand again and it sparkles against the sunset, that is now low and will be gone soon.

"It's so large, Christian. It's probably worth more than I am! Maybe Sawyer should be the ring's CPO."

"Nothing is more priceless than you are, baby. Sawyer will make sure you and the ring stay safe." I kiss her hair and wrap an arm around her. The sun is half gone and I still have one more surprise for her before we leave and I don't want us walking in the dark, so I need to get us moving.

"That's a beautiful house, Anastasia." I mention, looking over at it.

She nods. "It's incredible."

"How would you feel if we lived there?"

She spins around quickly and looks at me. "That's yours?"

"It's ours." I correct.

She looks back it. "When?"

"I signed for it last Monday."

"Can we go look at it?" She grins.

I nod. "We're staying there tonight."

"We are?"

"We are. I thought we could consummate our engagement and christen the house all in one go."

She beams at me and stands, holding her hand out for me. "Let's go then, sir. I'm ready to be ravished."

I grab the book and her shoes and let her help hoist me to my feet.

"Up." I command.

Her arms wrap around my neck as I bend down and I use my forearms, picking her up below the swell of her ass. Her legs find my waist and she clings to me while I make quick work getting us across our acreage to our new home before it gets dark.

"All of this land is yours, sir?"

"Ours, Anastasia. I won't say it again. And yes. Everything from the edge of the woods we came from to the edge on the opposite side.

"Will you bring your sailboat?" She must have noticed our dock.

"I'll have a smaller one built for home."

"And we'll live here, now?"

I shake my head. "It'll take about a month for Elliot's team to fix everything I want fixed. We'll make sure you go through and they'll make any changes you want."

"What about a playroom?"

My feet stop. I haven't really thought about it. "Do you want one here?" I start walking again.

"If you'd like one, sir."

"I need you to speak freely, Anastasia. I'm fine with either decision. I want you to be happy." Her cheeks redden and she buries her head into my neck. "No need to be embarrassed, baby. You want the playroom?"

"Yes, sir." Her voice is sweet and soft and I'm beginning to get hard.

"You like our kinky fuckery?"

"Very much, sir."

I hum and kiss her forehead.

"Is my girl wet?"

"Very."

"Oh, fuck me." I murmur, picking up speed.

She giggles and her lips find my neck. "I intend to, sir."

I spank her, enjoying her hum that follows. "Little minx."

"I like the pool." She mentions when we finally hit the patio.

"I'd like to fuck you in the pool." I growl in her ear. I'm so fucking hard, it's throbbing painfully.

I hurry up the stone steps to the main floor and the door opens, Taylor grinning on the other side.

"Congratulations, Miss Steele." He tells her as I hand him her shoes and the book, refusing to stop.

"Thank you, Taylor!" She calls over my shoulder as I make my way through the great room and up the stairs. "Wow. This is incredible. We're actually going to live here?"

I chuckle. "Yes, baby. It's all ours."

"Where are Taylor and Gail going to stay?"

"There is a guest house down the driveway a bit. There's even enough room for Sophie there."

"Oh, that's lovely. I can't wait to meet her." I make my way across the plush cream carpet of the expansive Master Bedroom. I start to drop her on the bed and she clings to me.

"My feet are dirty!"

I hoist her back up and continue into the in suite, going straight to the walk-in shower. I turn the water on, making her squeal and make sure it's warm enough before I back myself up, holding her with one arm while the other wipes one foot off and then I switch arms, repeating the process.

She giggles and her feet squirm when my thumbs run over the bottom of her feet, but I ignore her. _I'm on a mission._

Once I've shut the water off, I carry her out of the shower and place her on the rug while I rid myself of my soaked clothes. She stands patiently, watching me and when I'm done I start peeling hers off.

As I'm throwing her dress to the floor, she drops to her knees and her tongue swipes the end of my shaft, making my cock jump.

"Mmm."

I grin. "Taste good, baby?"

She smiles up and me with her eyes and nods before taking me into her mouth again.

"Fuck." Usually, I don't allow her to get me off before we fuck, but I'm so fucking horny tonight I think I could come five times and still be ready to go.

"Deeper, baby." I take her hair and make a makeshift ponytail, holding onto it as she bobs back and forth, her cheeks hollowing as she sucks.

"Fuck. That's a good girl, Ana. Your mouth feels incredible." Her eyes sparkle up at me and she takes me deeper. "Shit! Baby...fuck! Swallow." I barely get the word out before my balls draw up and I shoot down her throat. She continues to work me down until my hand relaxes in her hair and I release it. Her mouth releases my dick and she kisses the tip before placing her palms on her knees and looks up at me.

"My turn." I reach down and yank her up, grabbing her, carrying her to the bed. I toss her onto the bed and her legs automatically open for me.

"Such a good girl, showing me what's mine." I settle between her legs, My face hovering above her center, and I blow on it softly.

She whimpers and her hips shimmy.

"I've been looking forward to this all day, Miss Steele."

"Oh, Christian...please." _God, I love listening to her beg for me._

"Please, what, baby?"

She grabs my head, her fingers tightening in my hair and pulls my head into her. _She smells so good. And all for me._

I run my tongue up her slit and she moans out.

"Yes, Christian. That's what I want." My eyes lift to watch her as her head tips back.

A part of me wants to tease her longer, but it's fleeting, because I'm enjoying her too much. Her milk and honey taste is much too inviting.

I try to take my time, but she's too worked up and ends up coming far too quickly for my liking, so I continue even after working her down. She begins to squirm and I end up having to throw her legs over my shoulders and clasp my hands together over her stomach to keep her in place. I work her up until I can feel her heartbeat against my lips and then my tongue stops until I feel her muscles relax. I do it again and again and enjoy listening to her whimper.

"Oh, please...please, sir. Please let me come."

I kiss her center and lift my chin to look at her. "Who owns your orgasms, Anastasia?"

"You do, sir."

"Who decides when you come?"

"Only you, Christian."

"Then why are you begging?"

"Because you control my pleasure, sir. Please, sir."

 _Oh, I like that answer._ "I love it when you beg, baby."

My lips find her center again and I work quickly, pushing her over the edge within seconds.

I slide up her body and kiss her lips while she lays there like a ragdoll, recuperating.

"If that's the end result, I don't mind begging."

I chuckle. "Done already?"

Her head shakes against the pillow and her legs wrap themselves around my waist, keeping me in place. "I need you."

"Well, if you're going to keep me prisoner, I better make the best of it." I reach down between our bodies and line myself up, slipping myself into her. I watch her eyes close and her mouth open as I continue to push until I'm seated completely inside of her. I relax on top of her and sigh. Nothing compares to this and I get to enjoy it for the rest of my life.

I end up taking her again from behind and then once more with her riding me before she collapses on top of me. We're both exhausted, but we're due at my parents tomorrow and I know the girls are going to hound Ana for details. I don't want them to persuade Ana into anything she wouldn't want for the wedding. We need to talk about details.

"Ana, baby?" I run my hands up and down her back, stirring her half-asleep self.

"Hmm?" She grunts at me and I grin.

"I wanted to talk to you about the wedding." I'm watching her relaxed face and a grin forms on it, but she still refuses to open her eyes. "When do you want to get married?"

"Soon." She answers, snuggling into me.

"How about the last weekend of September?" It's the last weekend of August now and that'd give us a month.

She giggles and her eyes flutter open to look at me. "Won't people think we're getting married for the same reason Elliot and Kate had to?"

"If they do think that, they'll realize soon enough they were wrong when a baby doesn't shoot out nine months later."

She giggles. "I don't think that's how it works, Christian."

"So, September 24th?" _I'm not willing to wait much longer to have her._

She lifts her head and leans down to kiss me. "It's perfect, Christian."

I can feel myself beaming and she shakes her head. "It really isn't fair."

My eyebrows knit together. "What isn't?"

"How you can be so incredibly handsome." My smile returns. "Especially when you smile..." her index finger traces my lips. "I love seeing you happy."

I flip us over and kiss her. "You make me happy, Anastasia. You wearing this..." I pick up her hand to show her the diamond. "You wearing my ring makes me even happier and once you have that band on your finger...I might just explode. You'll be mine forever."

She smiles up at me and cups my face. Her thumbs rub against my short beard. "I'm already yours forever."

"But now it'll be official and everyone will know you're mine. _Only_ mine. I want to spend the rest of my life taking care of you, keeping you safe, and making you happy."

She hums and pulls my face closer to hers. "I love being yours. I love how caring you are and how possessive you are. It makes me feel cherished."

"Good. I want you to feel that way always." I kiss her nose and grin when I feel her long eyelashes flutter against my face. "Where do you want to get married?" As much as I love our intimate talks, we need to stay on track.

She shrugs against the pillow. "It's so beautiful here, I hate that it's so rainy and cold. I wish we could get married out here."

I frown, knowing she's right. That would be a complete disaster. Nature is where she feels the freest and I want her to have a perfect day.

Suddenly, an idea hits me.

"Why don't we have a destination wedding? I hear Hawaii has some of the greatest wedding venues in the country."

Her eyes almost bug out of her head. "Hawaii? But what about my family?"

I realize she's worried about the money. "We'd fly everyone in."

Her look turns from shock to excitement. "You'd do that?"

" _We're_ doing that. We'll pay for everyone to fly in and stay a few days. What do you think?"

"Christian...it's perfect! Are you sure? That's a lot of money..."

I grin. "I'm sure." _I bet_ _I spent more on that ring on her finger than we will on the whole wedding._ "We'll take Friday off and fly down to Hawaii to look at wedding venues this weekend."

She squeezes herself against me. "Just you and me?"

"Just you and me." I agree. "Well...and Taylor and Sawyer."

"Can we take Gail, too?"

I'm surprised by her request, but with the added security measures, Taylor hasn't spent much time with Gail, so I'll agree. "Sure, baby."

"I can't wait. This seems so surreal. My mother is going to...oh, no...this might send Daddy into an early grave."

I chuckle. "He already knows."

"You spoke with him?"

"It's the reason we went to Savannah."

"And he was okay with it?"

I laugh. "Are you surprised?"

"Shouldn't I be?"

 _She's got a point._ "No, I guess you have every right to be. He gave his blessing."

Ana kisses my adam's apple and nuzzles into my neck right below it, something she does every night before she drifts off. "Thank you, Christian." She yawns and I feel her eyelashes flutter against my skin.

"Sleep, baby. You're exhausted. We'll continue this tomorrow." I stroke her hair and her body relaxes and her breathing evens out less than a minute later. It doesn't take long before I drift off, too.

XxXxXx

Anastasia and I are in my home office and she's sitting on my lap while we Skype her parents on the desktop computer. I've just rung them and we're waiting for one of them to pick up.

"I'm so nervous!" Ana mentions, her feet dancing against the floor between my feet.

I chuckle and kiss her shoulder. "It'll be okay."

Suddenly her mother pops up on the screen. "Good morning! Hold on a second, let me get your father." Carla must be on her phone because her hand drops and all we can see is a sideways view of the kitchen as it passes by. There's a lot more movement and I find myself getting a little annoyed and a little dizzy with how much we're getting jostled around.

When the camera finally settles, we see Carla and Ray sitting next to each other on the couch.

"Hey, sweet pea! We haven't heard from you all week."

"I know, Daddy. I'm sorry. We've been busy."

"Such a treat to see both of you." Carla states, but it doesn't sound genuine.

Anastasia is either pretending she doesn't hear the tone in her mother's voice, or she believes it and beams at both of them. "Well, we have some news."

Ray's eyebrow shoots up and I see his eyes dart back and forth, looking at both of us. "Oh? What is it?"

Ana lifts her left hand and holds it between us. "We're engaged!"

Carla's eyes widen and she brings the phone closer to her face. "Anastasia! Your ring is huge!"

Ana giggles. "I know, I think it has it's own zip code." She turns her ring around to look at it herself. "It's pink."

"Is it? Show me again!" Carla demands and Anastasia is quick to show off her ring again. "My god, Ana!"

Ana giggles and lowers her hand from the camera. "It's perfect."

I'm full of pride, seeing Anastasia so excited about it and kiss her cheek.

"So, when is this shindig going to happen?" Ray asks.

"At the end of September." I answer, wrapping both arms around Ana's tiny waist.

"That's only a month." Carla looks surprised.

Ana shrugs. "Why wait?"

"Ana wants it outside, so we're going to have it in Hawaii."

Ray smiles, but I see Carla's eyebrows knit together. _Please don't start the jealous shit now._

"What my Annie wants, my Annie gets." Ray states and I nod.

"Absolutely." _More brownie points._ "I want this to be the wedding of her dreams."

I watch Ana's head bow and I push her hair back, out of her face, and see that she's blushing. _Shy Ana._

"Well, I'm happy for you two. I never thought Annie would find a man that could give her the world, but she managed to find one."

Pride fills my chest for a second time. "Thank you, sir. That means a lot to me." I tell him.

"We're going to look at venues this weekend. Mom, you'll help with the planning, won't you?" Ana asks, looking hopeful.

Her mother smiles. "Yes, of course, sweetheart. Just Skype me when you've got the venue chosen."

"Great! I love you."

"We love you, too, sweet pea. And, congratulations again, you two. Can't wait to hear from both of you again." Ray answers her.

We say our goodbyes and once we disconnect, she turns towards me and lets out a big sigh. "That went so much better than I thought it would. My dad seems smitten with you." She grins at me, teasing.

"I hope so." _It'll make my life a hell of a lot easier._ I'm stuck with this man for the rest of my life. I'm a little worried that Carla will create a shitfest while Ana tries to plan, but I won't mention it right now. Ana seems pretty oblivious to Carla's jealousy and I don't want to create an issue that might never actually happen. I want my girl to be stress free during this stage of our relationship. I can only imagine the uproar my little sister and Kate are going to create when they find out.

XxXxXx

"If we don't say anything, do you think anyone will notice?"

 _Notice what? The ring on her finger?_ They better fucking notice that rock on her finger.

I grin at her and take her hand in mine as we make our way up the walk to my parent's house. "Let's see how long it takes. I bet Mia will notice first." She's always had an eye for fashion and jewelry.

Ana shakes her head. "I bet it's Kate. She kept saying we'd end up engaged."

I'm actually surprised by this. "She did?"

She nods. "She said we're good for each other."

 _Damn._ I guess I should be a little nicer to my new sister-in-law.

"Ana! I love your dress!" My mother is all over Ana as soon as we're in the door.

My girl looks down at herself and smiles back up at my mother. "Thank you. Christian picked it." She's wearing a gray fit and flare dress with light gray, pink, and white polka dots. I picked a pink, cashmere cardigan to cover her arms, and gray heels.

My mother smiles at me. "Of course he did." She opens her arms to hug me and I squeeze her tight against me. "So happy to see you, darling."

"You too, Mom."

"ANA!" Kate comes running down the hallway and Ana hurries to her for a hug. This is our first time seeing them since their honeymoon and you'd think she hasn't seen Ana in a lifetime.

"You're so tan, Kate! You look beautiful! How's baby Grey?" I watch Ana pat Kate's belly affectionately with her left hand, making Kate gasp and grab her hand.

"What is this? Ana! Are you...Did you...Tell me you did!" Kate's eyes are so wide, they look like they're ready to pop out of her head. She looks from Ana's hand to me and back at Ana.

"Yes!" Ana squeals and I wince, squeezing my eyes shut at the high pitched sound.

... _And it starts._

"What? What is it?" My mother is on them in a second, having a look at her left hand, and my mother and Kate are both asking Anastasia questions at the same time while she stands there, holding her hand out.

"MIA! GET IN HERE!" Kate suddenly shouts and I hide my face in my hands. _What the fuck did I get myself into?_ We can't even get the door closed before the girls are on her like piranhas. It looks like Anastasia is actually eating it up, and I find it kind of adorable, since she normally hates attention.

My little sister comes barreling in and I cover my hears with my index fingers just in time to block out her screech. It isn't long before my father and Elliot come to see what all the commotion is about and we're all jammed in the entryway while the girls are all talking over each other and Elliot and my father are pushing their way through the girls to get to me.

"Congrats, bro." Elliot hugs me quickly, knowing my boundaries.

"Thanks, Elliot."

My father smiles at me. "I'm happy for you, son." He squeezes my shoulder. "It's nice to see you genuinely happy. I've got to admit, I was worried about you for awhile."

I smile and shrug. "I am happy. I can't wait."

My mother appears at his side and throws her arms around my waist in a hug. "Oh, Christian! This is just the best news! Ana is such a wonderful girl! And now she's going to be family! I'm so happy for you!" I laugh and hold her to me and look down to see her a blubbering mess. "This has been one of the best summers our family has ever had!"

"Can we move this into the other room?"

My mother laughs and blots her eyes with her fingers, nodding. "Girls...GIRLS!" Kate and Mia are completely ignoring my mother.

I put my fingers in my mouth and whistle loudly, making everyone wince, but effectively shutting the girls up. "Dining room. Now."

Anastasia's legs start moving towards the dining room automatically, but Kate and Mia are both looking at me, partly pissed and partly confused.

"What?" Mia is challenging me.

"I didn't stutter, Mia."

She scowls at me, but does as I request. Elliot takes Kate's hand and pulls her along, following Mia.

I hear my mother giggling and I look down at her, amused. "I have a feeling this isn't the last time you'll have to do that."

I chuckle. "Probably not."

When we make it to the dining room, I see the girls flanking Ana on both sides in chairs. "Absolutely not." I shake my head. _They are not going to keep me from sitting by my girl._ "One of you will move."

Kate smiles up at me and slides her chair back, standing. "I'll sit by Elliot, Christian. Come sit by your fiance!"

I can't help, but smile back at her. _Fiance._ I love that word. I pull out Kate's chair for her and when she sits, I slide her in.

"Thank you, Christian."

"You're welcome."

I take my seat next to Anastasia and take her left hand in mine. While Gretchen carries out the food, I find myself spinning her ring around her finger. I catch her smiling at me and I give her a wink.

"You two are so cute." Kate states, smiling at Ana. "So what are your plans?"

Ana looks up at me and I take it as my cue to talk. "We're thinking the last weekend of September in Hawaii."

"Hawaii? How romantic!" Mia is beaming and it's a nice change from her constantly being pissed with me.

"Do you have colors?"

"Well, we haven't really talked about them...but I've already imagined antique white with a little bit of blush pink." Ana looks up at me uncertain and I smile at her.

"Sounds perfect, baby. Whatever you want."

"Blush pink and white? In Hawaii?" Mia asks, snorting. "It's Hawaii, Ana! You need to have bold, tropical colors! It'll be so much prettier! If you picked something like a cobalt blue and magenta-"

"No."

She looks at me, taken aback by being cut off. "What?"

"I am going to say this and I will only say it once. This is Anastasia and my wedding. As much as we appreciate your input, your opinion doesn't matter. I will not have anyone discrediting my Ana's ideas or trying to persuade her to go a different route than she's planned. If you try, you will have to deal with me. Do you understand?"

Mia frowns. "But..."

I shake my head. "No, buts. Ana's decision. We _will_ be having an antique white and blush wedding. If I hear that you are trying to convince Ana to change the colors again, you will be forbidden from helping with the wedding. Tell me you understand, Mia."

She huffs and crosses her arms, throwing herself back in her seat. "Fine."

Ana squeezes my hand and I look over to see her mouth a thank you. I lean down and give her a kiss for good measure. _No one is going to stomp on my baby's ideas._ I am determined to make this perfect for her. _We're only doing this once._

 ***So, I had to change the history of the ring for my story. Graff was the one who bought the diamond ring in 2010 and who it's named after.**


	18. Hawaii

**A/N: This chapter is more of an informational chapter than anything. I had a hard time writing it because of it, so I'm sorry it took so long and I'm sorry it's not longer. There should be two more chapters and this part of the trilogy will be done.**

It's about a six hour flight from Seattle to Maui, Hawaii and Anastasia and I spent the first couple hours joining the mile high club in the back bedroom of our airplane. I now have her wrapped in my arms while she sleeps, completely content. She has a soft smile on her face while her left hand lays on my chest, the sparkler on her finger gleaming with every breath I take.

This week has been the best of my life. The more Ana and I talk, the more I fall in love with her. Our ideas on the wedding are almost identical and it makes everything so much easier. Mia and Kate keep calling about wedding arrangements, but I've requested that they let Ana be until we decide on the wedding venue. I remember how stressed Kate was planning her own and I want Ana to be as relaxed as possible. I don't want her to look back and cringe at this part of our relationship. Every chapter of our life together should be nothing, but positive.

I feel her hand move and it slides up my chest and neck and cups my stubbled cheek. Her eyes remain closed, but her thumb rubs across my jaw line.

"What's on your mind, Christian?"

I grin. "You."

It doesn't take long before her grin matches mine. "Aren't you tired?"

We left at 4:00 am this morning and it's barely 6:00 am, but I can't sleep. "Just excited, I guess."

"You need sleep, Christian."

"Why?"

"Cause you get cranky when you're tired." She giggles at her admission.

"Oh, I do, do I?" I roll us over and begin to tickle her sides, making her giggle even more, the sound making my dick inflate.

My hands still and her blue eyes are smiling up at me. "You do." She finally answers.

"Hmm...maybe there's something you could do to help me relax."

Her eyes narrow playfully. "And what could that be-Oh..." Her head falls back and her mouth opens as I slip into her heat.

I nip at her chin and pump into her slowly. "You up to the challenge, Miss Steele?"

She nods. "Yes." She's breathless, but she grabs onto my shoulders and begins to roll her hips with mine.

I hum into her ear. "That's my good girl."

XxXxXx

I awake and stretch, groaning. When I open my eyes, I see Ana sitting in bed next to me, clothed, and looking out the window.

"Morning, baby." I state, sitting up and running my hands through my tossled hair.

She looks over her shoulder and smiles at me. "You should see this view, Christian. It's incredible! The water is so blue!"

I slide over to her and rest my chin on her shoulder, squinting as I look out into the sunlight. We'll land soon. I can see the islands. "It's beautiful, angel."

She turns her head and kisses my temple. "How did I ever get so lucky? I have the most incredible man and am living the most incredible life. It's so surreal...I don't know what I did to deserve this...let alone, you."

I look at her. "You deserve everything, baby. It's me who doesn't deserve you. You are so perfect for me."

She smiles up at me and then looks down pulling at the sheet that's covering my lower half. She lifts it up and turns her head sideways, peeking in.

"Excuse you." I say, amused.

She giggles and throws back the sheet so that I'm uncovered. "It's mine! I'll look when I please."

"Is that so?" I grin.

She nods and wraps her hand around my dick squeezing slightly. "Mine."

I can't fight her on this one. _She's right._ I shrug my shoulders. "Yours."

XxXxXx

"The Grand Wailea is known for being one of the greatest wedding venues in the world. Not only can your wedding and reception be right here on the grounds, but your guests will all have their own beach front rooms. We've got 780 rooms, nine pools, three golf courses, eleven tennis courts, a huge fitness center, a spa, five restaurants, and four bars. All of your guests would have access to all of this and you would have complete control on what you pay and what your guests would be responsible to pay. For instance, if you are wanting their food taken care of, but not their drinks, we'll bill them for any liquor prior to them leaving. We've got 40 acres on the property and part of it is covered with trees and wildflowers, which seem to be bride's favorites...we'll start there, shall we?" The manager, Alyssa Koontz, explains. I know she sees dollar signs and if she plays her cards right, we'll be dropping a small fortune just to say 'I do' here. I've spoken to her earlier this week and she is aware of Anastasia's wants and it's obvious she knows how to sell the place.

Upon hearing about the trees and wildflowers, my girl squeezes my arm against her and smiles up at me. Miss Koontz leads us to a pricey, six-person golf cart and I help Anastasia in the front before I sit behind her. Gail climbs in next to me and Sawyer and Taylor climb on the back.

"I love this golf cart! It's so cute!" Ana mentions, looking over the golf cart that looks more like a pearl white car.

"We've got golf carts all over the property with employees ready to shuttle anyone wherever they'd like. If you prefer this style of cart, we will arrange to have all of them available to you and your guests the week of your wedding. Now for the rooms, we've got multiple styles and multiple wings of the hotel you can choose from. This weekend we've put all of you in our Napua Club, which is a special tower away from the other rooms with your personal 24/7 concierge, breakfast, afternoon tea, Hors d'oeuvres before dinner, sunset champagne, and bedtime adult-only chocolate decadence service. You will all have your own, private lanai with your room, so you'll want to take advantage of sunset champagne while you sit and enjoy the sunset on the water."

Ana looks back at me with her lip between her teeth and grins. I'm sure she's in heaven right now and I can feel pride filling my chest; only I can spoil her like this. "That all sounds lovely, Miss Koontz, thank you." Ana smiles at her.

"It's our pleasure, Miss Steele. We want you to have an experience of a lifetime here."

Gail leans over to me. "Mr. Grey...you didn't have to do that for us! It's far too much."

I smile affectionately at Gail. "You just hush and enjoy your weekend. You are here as a friend, not an employee. Ana has specifically asked for you to come, so you mean a lot to her...to both of us."

She smiles up at me and I can see tears forming in her eyes. Gail as always been like a second mother to me; I don't know what I would do without her. She deserves a relaxing weekend in Hawaii.

"Here we are! We'll shuttle your guests here and they'll follow this winding walkway to their seats. Come, I'll show you."

We all climb off the golf cart and Ana immediately takes my outstretched hand. "I love it here." She whispers at me.

I chuckle. "We haven't even seen anything, yet."

"But it all sounds so wonderful." She's star-struck by the hotel and it's adorable.

"Let's just check out the ceremony and reception spot first, okay?"

She smiles up at me and nods, resting her head against my bicep. We follow Miss Koontz through the beautiful winding path with the other three trailing behind, Taylor and Gail holding hands.

"It's beautiful here, Ana." Gail mentions as we walk through the wood.

Ana nods. "It is. Will it still look like this at the end of September?"

Miss Koontz turns her head and smiles at Ana. "Yes, ma'am. August and September are actually our hottest months. The lowest it dips in the evening is about 70 degrees. In the day, it usually stays in the 80's."

"I definitely like the weather here." Anastasia mentions, giggling.

I smile. "Maybe we'll have property here some day."

She rolls her eyes and I reach down and pinch her asscheek, making her startle. "Christian, let's just get through the wedding and the move to the new house first, okay?"

I laugh and nod. She's right. _One step at a time._

We continue to make our way down the walkway with wooden arches, through the trees, and all of a sudden there is a large, round clearing. big enough for a decent sized wedding. I watch Anastasia's face as she takes it in and I see her finger tapping against her lip as she brainstorms. My phone vibrates in my pocket and I groan. _We've been here a whole hour._

Pulling out my phone, I see that it's Ros.

Ana smiles at me. "It's okay. Take it. I'll Skype my mom."

I smile at her. "Are you sure? This is our weekend, Ana. I don't have to..."

"Of course, I'm sure." She leans up on her toes and kisses me before setting off for the opposite side of the clearing with Gail, Sawyer, and the hotel manager. Taylor stands about fifteen feet away from me, watching the others so that I can speak to Ros privately.

I listen to Ros go on and on about a problem she's having with the people running our New York office and I try to listen, but I keep zoning her out while I watch Ana hold out her phone and talk to her mother with Gail. By the time I make my way back over to Anastasia, she's been around the clearing twice with the women and her mother on the phone. It's obvious that she's having an easy time visualizing the wedding here and I know we'll end signing a contract by the end of the night.

"So, what do you think, Mom?" Ana beams at her mother.

"It's-it's great, honey."

"Yea?" Anastasia suddenly looks unsure and I want to drop-kick Carla into next week.

"It's perfect. Really."

"Well, I'll talk to you later, okay? Christian's back and we still have to see the site for the reception."

"Alright. Enjoy yourself."

Anastasia sticks her phone back in her pocket and smiles at me.

"So, what do you think so far, baby?"

My question launches Anastasia in a five minute explanation at how perfect it'd be and how everything would be set up and I almost regret even asking.

After my long-winded bride finishes, Miss Koontz takes us farther along the trail and we emerge out of the wood and into an even bigger clearing with a stone floor and tables set up with navy tablecloths.

"There is going to be a wedding here this weekend, so you can kind of see how it would look all set up." She brings us to the center of the brick floor and everyone looks around, taking in the tables and decorations, but my girl looks straight up.

Confused, I look up, too. All I see is sky and branches.

"What is it?"

"Do you think those branches are strong enough to hold lights?"

"Lights?" Now, I'm really confused.

She nods and looks at me. "Like lanterns or something to light up the space...make it warmer somehow? I want it to be cozy."

"No lanterns." I tell her. Chinese lanterns are definitely not on my list of things I want at my wedding. "How about chandeliers?"

Her eyes widen and she smiles. "Can we do that?" She looks back up at the trees and I laugh.

"Yes, baby. Anything is possible with the right people."

She gives me a sweet kiss and then begins to walk around. "I want the head table here... and instead of small tables, I want like three really long tables going the opposite way like this..." She shows me and I smile at her. I love how assertive she's being with all of this. My girl knows what she wants. "I want all white table clothes and the centerpieces to be low so that people can see each other and run all the way down the middle of each table. I want the chairs to be gold with white cushions and-" She turns to look at me and blushes, stopping. "I'm sorry."

I grin at her and shake my head. "Don't be. Keep going." _It all sounds perfect._

She shakes her head bashfully and returns to me, slipping her hand into mine. She's embarrassed for some reason, but I'll be sure to pull more information out of her later.

"So, do you like it?" I ask, knowing.

"Baby, it's perfect." She smiles up at me. "Don't you agree?"

I smile and nod. "It's great."

"Wonderful!" Miss Koontz is on us in a millisecond. "Now, you can bring in outside decorators and furniture, but the catering has to be through the hotel. Once you've tasted Chef Michael Lofaro's food, you won't want anyelses, anyway. That'll be on the agenda for tomorrow. If your guests stay with us, then you'll receive a free week stay in the tower that you're staying in this weekend."

"We can stay the whole week before the wedding." Anastasia is happy with the news...like we wouldn't have done that anyway. I smile and nod, happy that she's happy.

"Let's talk numbers." I tell Miss Koontz.

She nods. "How many guests?"

"About 100? We're keeping it small."

"So...around fifty rooms?"

I shrug. "About that. We'll have a better estimate when we get the RSVP's back."

"You'll have to have the final number the Monday before the wedding. We have a three night, four day package that includes access to everything at the hotel. It's about $350 per night for the oceanview rooms. Three nights times fifty rooms plus tax and fees...it'll come to about sixty-five grand. That's if you want your guests to pay everything out of pocket. The catering varies. It can be as little as $60 a plate and go up from there...about $350 a plate. It includes, coffee, tea, and water. Sodas, beer, and liquor are extra. Will you be having an open bar or cash bar?"

"Open bar." _I'll probably regret this later._

"Tomorrow, you can decide what drinks will be on the menu then. We'll go over all those details tomorrow."

I look down at Anastasia and she looks back up at me, blinking. I've noticed she's a little pale and has gone quiet.

"Baby...are you okay?"

She nods. "Mmhmm."

I know she's lying, but we'll talk about it back in our room.

"Is everything okay?" Suddenly, Miss Koontz looks worried.

I give her a reassuring smile. "Yes. Continue."

She gives a nod. "Now, to rent out the venue for the weekend, it would be $3,000 for the ceremony site and $7,000 for the reception site. This includes set up and tear down."

XxXxXx

We make our way up to our room after dinner and once we're in, Anastasia puts her handbag down on the counter and turns towards me, wringing her hands. "I'm...I'm going to run a bath."

She's acted funny all throughout dinner and I know something is bothering her. _Maybe I'll get her to talk in the tub._

"May I join you, Miss Steele?" I ask, giving her my best pantie-dropper smile.

She gives me a shy smile and a nod before disappearing. I busy myself with getting her gray satin chemise and my pajama pants out of the bag. I pull up the email from Ros with a contract in it for an airline in Houston we're thinking about buying and sit on the bed, reading. I want to give Anastasia some space for a few minutes before joining her. I would love to be with her 24/7, but I know she probably has a lot of things running through her mind and she likes quiet time to navigate through them herself.

When I hear the tap stop, I know that the tub is full and I finish my paragraph before heading into the bathroom. She's already in the bath and she smiles up at me when I enter.

"You ready for me, baby?" I wiggle my eyebrows and start undressing.

She giggles. "Yes. Come relax with me, Christian."

I hum. "Sounds wonderful." I hurry to rid myself of the rest of my clothes while she watches and when I start my way to the tub, she scoots forward so I can slide in behind her. The hot water feels incredible against my tense body. Traveling always makes my body tense, no matter what I do. I'm sure taking Anastasia over and over again this morning on the plane didn't help things. The thought makes me grin, but also reminds me that she might be sore.

I reach up and squeeze her shoulders, rubbing them lightly. "Mmm, that feels good."

I grin. I want her relaxed so that she'll talk to me about whatever is bothering her.

"Christian?"

"Yes, baby."

"Well, I've been thinking..."

I grin. _It's about fucking time_. "About what?"

"Maybe we should just have our wedding in Seattle."

My jaw clenches. _After all this?_ "Why, Anastasia?"

She tenses at my cold tone. "It's just...well, it's so much money, Christian. I feel terrible-"

"Stop." The last thing I want her feeling is guilty. "It isn't that much money for us."

"It's more than what I make in a year."

I grin. "It's what I make in half a day."

She turns towards me and I see that she's chewing her lip. I tap her chin and her bottom lip pops back out of her mouth. "I...but, what if everyone thinks _this_ is why I'm marrying you?"

My forehead creases and I do my best to keep a straight face. "You're worried people will think you're a gold digger."

She shrugs. "Maybe." She looks down at her hands. "I don't want you to think that I _need_ this. I just need you. I'd be fine with going to the courthouse."

I lift her head with my finger. "I know, baby. This is my wedding, too. I want both of us to enjoy it. We're only doing this once. Don't worry about what other people think."

She nods, but it's uncertain.

"Why are you suddenly so worried about this?" Her eyes concentrate on my chest and she shrugs. "Baby...come on. You can tell me. You know you can tell me anything, angel."

"It's just...well, my mother mentioned that her friend made a comment about it, so she's worried a lot of people think that way." _Her mother. Of-fucking-course._

I sigh, annoyed. "Your mother needs to keep her mouth shut about stuff like that. I'll talk to her."

Anastasia shakes her head quickly. "No! Please, don't! You said I could talk to you about anything. Don't make this worse on me." She's panicked and I'm surprised by her reaction.

I cup her face with my right hand to soothe her. "I'm sorry, I won't. I didn't mean to upset you, baby. I just hate to see you upset."

"I know my mother is having a hard time with this and I'm trying to be patient with her. She was always jealous of your mother because I always wanted to be with Mia and Kate instead of being at home, and she thought that I was embarrassed of her and Daddy since our home was small and in a different neighborhood. She wanted the closeness, but I was never there. She resented the fact that I would rather be with my friends, who happened to have money, then spend time with her.

"Now that I'm with you, I think that she worries that she'll lose me to this lifestyle...like I'm still embarrassed of her. Well, I'm determined to show her that she's wrong. She can be a handful, but she's still my mother and always will be. I hate that she feels this way and I hope she realizes soon that I love her no matter what."

 _At least now I know she isn't oblivious to her mother's actions._ A part of me knows that her mother is also jealous of the money, but I won't mention it to Anastasia. Ray's a hard worker and he did everything he could to put Ana through private school and provide for his family. I wish that Carla would get her head out of her ass and see that.

There is a knock on our door and we look at one another.

"Stay." I tell her, rising out of the bath. I hurry to dry myself off and wrap a towel around my waist before heading towards the door. I look through the peephole and see Taylor standing there, so I unlock the deadbolt and open it, allowing him in.

He looks around the room. "Where is Miss Steele?"

"She's in the bath."

He nods. "I have some news. I just got off the phone with Adekoya."

I put my finger up and go to the bedroom door, closing it. The in-suite door is still open, but at least this will muffle a lot of the sound. I don't want Anastasia worrying about the Hyde fucker.

"Okay, now what is it?"

"A Mr. Peter Jackson with Hyde's date of birth bought a gun in Seattle this morning."

"Fuck!" _And just like that, the little bubble Anastasia and I had created for this trip is popped._ The last thing I wanted to do this weekend was worry about that fucker. I'm sick of him ruining every fucking thing. _Shit. What are we going to do?_ How is it that fucking easy to get a gun?

"Okay..." I start to pace, thinking. _What do we do?_ "Bring Adekoya and Sabolo to Seattle to see if they can find him. I need you to get ahold of Audi and get them to express ship us an armoured SUV and an armoured car." _Why the fuck don't I already own one?_

He nods. "Yes, sir."

"We need him taken care of. Now." _I don't understand why he's still out there._

"I understand, sir."

"Christian?" Anastasia's sweet voice comes from behind me and I turn to see her standing at the door of the bedroom, wearing a thick white robe from the hotel. "What's wrong?"

I take a deep breath and plaster a smile on my face. "Nothing, baby. Let's get you dressed and into bed."

I turn back to see Taylor making his exit and after the door closes, I lock the extra deadbolt for good measure, before returning to Anastasia. She allows me to guide her back into the bedroom and dress her into her silk nightgown before climbing into bed so that I can cover her. I slip on my pajama pants and climb in next to her. I notice that a 'v' has formed on her forehead while she stares at me.

"What is it, Anastasia?"

"You said that I could talk to you about anything..."

"Yes."

"Then why doesn't the same apply for you? I thought there were no secrets, Christian."

I sigh. _Damn it._ "I don't want to upset you, Ana."

"I want to know. Not knowing upsets me, Christian. I don't want to go through my life with you wondering what you've kept from me."

I chew my lip, thinking. _Should I tell her?_ I want to be completely honest with her. I don't want her thinking that I'm betraying her by keeping secrets. I want her to trust me.

"Are you sure you want to know?"

She nods and turns, propping herself up on her elbow. "Is it about Jack?"

I nod.

"What is it?"

"Before he was Jack Hyde, his name was Peter Jackson. Taylor let me know that a man by that name and Hyde's date of birth bought a gun in Seattle today."

I watch her chew her lip as she takes in the news. "So...he does want to hurt you." Her eyes swim with tears and I feel terrible. I pull her against me and kiss the top of her head.

"Shh...he's not going to hurt me, Ana. This is why I didn't want to tell you."

"I deserve to know, Christian. This affects me, too. So, what do we do?"

"I've got two armoured Audi's coming that we'll be using. They're bullet proof."

Her fingers play with my chest hair and she's quiet for a moment. "Is there more you aren't telling me?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why did you go to Detroit? What did you find?"

 _Fuck, fuck, fuck._ "I...I don't know, Anastasia..." I don't know if I can tell her.

She props herself up so she can look at me properly. "Please...tell me, Christian."

I take a deep, cleansing breath and nod. "Okay."

XxXxXx

"He...he wanted to...kidnap me?" I've spent the last five minutes explaining what happened in Detroit and Anastasia is understandably shell-shocked. "For what purpose?"

"He's mentally unstable." _To be honest, I don't know why._ "He wants you, Anastasia, but I swear to you that he will not get his hands on you."

"I'm sorry that you had to go through that, Christian. I can't imagine how hard it was to have to go through your old apartment."

 _This girl is incredible._ Here, I've just told her the sadistic things that Hyde had planned for her and she's worried about me being in an old, abandoned building. I roll to my side and pull her against me so that we're nose to nose.

"It was worth it, Anastasia. We burned that fucker to the ground and now we know just who we're dealing with." I search her eyes. "How do you feel about this?"

She bites her lip and looks down. "It's frightening, of course...but," she shrugs, "it feels surreal. Surprisingly, I feel calm right now, but I'm with you. It's easy to feel that way with you."

I smile. I love that she feels so safe and sound around me. "You'll stick close, then."

She giggles. "Don't I already?"

I roll us over so that she's laying on top of me and I kiss her lips. "If it was up to me, Miss Steele, we'd be handcuffed together 24/7."

Her blue eyes sparkle. "I like handcuffs."

I smile. "I am well aware." _I'll pack some for the honeymoon._

She wiggles her eyebrows, making me laugh, but I shake me head. "I've taken advantage of you enough today. You need rest tonight, baby."

She pouts. "I'm not too sore, sir."

I groan, but force myself to stay calm. "Tomorrow, Anastasia. Why don't you read to me?"

Her eyes light up. _It_ _didn't take long to convince her._ She climbs off of me and goes to her bag, pulling out her Jane Austen, Seven Novel compilation.

"Shall we continue with 'Emma'?"

My nose wrinkles. "I don't like that woman very much."

She giggles and climbs back into bed. "You aren't meant to. Austen wrote her that way on purpose."

"She sticks her nose into everyone's business."

"Nonetheless, we're still going to read it."

I sigh dramatically, but can't contain my grin. "Fine. Carry on, then."

She smiles at me and her back settles against the headboard on her side of the bed. My hand finds her thigh and I rub my thumb in circles while she reads. Her voice is soft and melodic and I find myself drifting off quickly. I feel her slide down and open my eyes just long enough to see her turning off the side lamp before settling into me for the night. Today has been a rollercoaster, but right now I feel complete content with Anastasia.


	19. Delaney

We have two weeks until the wedding and everything is running relatively smoothly. Anastasia was ecstatic when we got our first RSVP back, stating that she was worried no one would come. Her parents sent a hope chest that Ray made with his own two hands as a wedding present and Ana has been saving each RSVP and putting them into a box with the journal I gave her and the crown of flowers she made me at my parents. I know we'll slowly fill it with things that connect us and I'm looking forward to it.

In one week, we'll be leaving for Hawaii and in two weeks, I'll officially be able to claim her as my wife. She will take my name and be branded a Grey for the rest of her life. She'll be mine in every way and I'm finding it hard to be patient. I've already tried to convince her to run off and elope, but she just giggled and told me that it wouldn't be long. _Won't be long, my ass._ It's too long.

I've found out that Elena has had to sell one of her locations to help pay with how much she owes and it's satisfying to hear. My mother and my sister have put a bug in everyone's ear about Elena and her name has officially been dragged through the mud in social circles, keeping her from going to the many social events my parents often attend, and also killing off a large portion of her income at the salon. The women of Seattle and Bellevue don't want to be associated with the Lincoln name and she's slowly drowning in debt. A part of me feels like I should feel sympathetic, but I don't have it in me. I know if I took the time to look into her past, that it's quite possible that I might not be the only boy she took advantage of and she deserves to drown. Who knows who else she's hurt along the way. I know it tore Linc apart when he found out about us, and I wish that bastard would have said something back then about it, but when he found out I was already twenty-one and he had no idea just how long we were together. Linc has two children from a previous marriage and I don't think that him finding out that his ex-wife has a taste for young boys would go over well with him. _Maybe someone should mention it to him..._

I'm sitting in my office, staring at my computer screen, but not doing much work. The closer it gets to the wedding, the more I find myself daydreaming. Ana is supposed to come get me for lunch soon and I can't wait to get out of here for a bit and clear my head. _Not to mention see her beautiful, smiling face._

There's a knock on my door and a smile forms on my face. _12:30. Right on time._

"Come in." I call, beginning to close my files on my computer. I hear the door open and close and look up to see a pretty brunette in a trench coat standing at the door, but it's not my Anastasia.

"Who are you?" I bark, standing.

Her gaze drops to the floor and she quickly makes her way over to the side of my desk, kneeling beside it.

"What the fuck is going on?" I'm pissed, but the petite brunette doesn't speak. _Fuck._ I realize.

I stand in front of her and look down on her. "Speak your name."

"Delaney, sir."

"I am not your sir. Who sent you, Delaney?"

"Mistress sent Delaney to service Mr. Grey."

 _Fuck._ I pull at my hair and walk away, trying to keep my calm. It's not this girl's fault, but I find myself wanting to hurt her. When I turn back around, I see that she has shed her coat and is wearing red lingerie.

"Who is your Mistress, Delaney?"

She stays quiet.

"I asked you a question!" I bark at her and grab her chin, forcing her to look up at me. _Fuck. She looks very similar to Anastasia. She's young. Probably even younger than my Ana._

"Is your Mistress Elena Lincoln."

Her blue eyes widen and she tries to look away. "Delaney is not at liberty to say, sir."

 _Fuck this._ "How did you get into my office?"

Her eyes find mine again and she blinks up at me. "Delaney used sir's elevator."

 _My elevator?_ "I told you not to call me that. How?" When she tries to look away, I grab her chin more firmly and shake her head a bit to get her to look up at me. "Answer me. Now."

She opens her mouth to speak, but I hear a gasp from the opposite side of the room. My head snaps up and I see Ana standing at the door, looking positively stunned. _Fuck._

"Anastasia!" I release Delaney's chin, but Anastasia has already backed out of the door and shut it behind her. _Fuck. Fuck. Fuck._ I run to the door and yank it open, but she's no where to be found. I shut my door again and run to my phone, calling Sawyer.

"Mr. Grey?"

"Take Anastasia home. Tell her I'll explain as soon as I get there."

"Is everything okay, sir?"

"Just do as I say."

I hang up on the fucker. _Just do your fucking job and don't ask questions._

I buzz Taylor. "My office. Now."

"Yes, sir."

I make my way back to Delaney and yank her up by her arm. "Your services are not going to be needed. You can tell your Mistress to go fuck herself. Put your coat back on and get the fuck out of my office." _I don't know how the fuck she got up to my office, but I'll find out._

It doesn't take Taylor long to reach my door and he comes straight in while the brunette slips her coat back on.

"Escort Miss..." I look at her, realizing she never gave me her last name.

"McElroy, sir."

"Escort Miss McElroy out of the building and make sure she can't get back in. I don't know how she's made it this far, but we'll find out. After she's gone, get the car. We're going home." _I need to see my angel and explain._

He nods and takes her elbow, removing her from my office. I shut down my computer and grab my coat, before heading out to give Andrea a piece of my mind. She has never fucked up like this before. I want to know what the hell is going on.

"Andrea!" I bark at her, as I make my way to her desk. She stands quickly, smoothing her skirt.

"Yes, Mr. Grey?"

"Why the hell did you allow that brunette past the reception desk?"

Her eyebrows knit together. "I...I didn't. She used your personal elevator...you told me to allow access to anyone using your elevator."

 _Did I say that? Fuck. She's right._ I sigh and rub my temples. "From now on, everyone who comes up will need to check in unless it's Anastasia or my mother. Tell me you understand."

She nods. "Yes, sir. I'm sorry that it created such an inconvenience for you."

Now, I feel guilty. _Shit._ "It isn't your fault. I...I'm sorry I snapped at you, Andrea."

Her eyes widen. "I...Oh. It's...it's okay, Mr. Grey." She's surprised by my apology and her expression makes me grin.

"You don't have to look so shocked, Miss Parker."

She laughs. "I apologize, Mr. Grey."

I shake my head. "I'll be heading home for the rest of the day. If you need me, call my cell phone. Otherwise, I'll see you in the morning." I tell her, heading to my elevator.

"Yes, sir. Enjoy your evening!"

I make my way down to the garage and see that Taylor is just pulling up as I'm stepping out. He hops out of the car, but holds something out to me before he opens my door.

"What's this?" It looks like a badge from work.

"Your mother's pass."

My eyebrows knit together in confusion and I take it from him. It is indeed my mother's Grey House pass, that includes access to the door with no security and access to my elevator.

"Where did you get this?"

"It was on Miss McElroy."

"How did she get it?"

His eyebrow raises. "One can guess."

 _Fucking Elena Lincoln._ I think it's safe to say that my mother has no idea that it's missing. I clench my jaw and yank my car door open.

"Let's go. I need to see Ana."

Taylor hops in quickly and we make our way out into the dreary Thursday weather. It feels like an eternity before we make it back to Escala's garage, the twelve minute drive feeling more like forty. When we slide into our parking space, I see Sawyer standing there, waiting for us. Anastasia isn't with him and I wonder if she's sent him down here to warn us off.

He opens my door for me and I slip out, allowing him to shut it.

"Is Miss Steele upstairs?" I ask.

He shakes his head and my heart drops.

"What?"

He reaches into his pocket and produces a ring...her ring. "She told me to give this to you."

I stand there, shell-shocked and unable to speak or form coherent sentences. All I can do is hold out my hand for him to deposit the expensive piece into it. I want to be angry at him for letting her go, but I know it'd be kidnapping and I would never expect him to manhandle her.

"I tried to persuade her to wait and give it to you herself, but she said she couldn't bear it."

My eyes drift from the ring in my hand, up to his blue eyes. "Where? Where'd she go?" That fucker is still on the loose. _What if he gets to her?_

"I dropped her off at Mr. Kavanagh's. I told her that she'd be safer at your brother's, since they have security there, but she refused. She said that she was no longer a priority for me since I worked for you and demanded I take her there or she'd walk. I couldn't let her walk."

I give a nod. "Take me there."

He looks unsure for a second, but he corrects himself and nods. "Yes, sir."

XxXxXx

When we make it to the building, the door is locked, forcing me to look at the list of people and their buzzers. _E. Kavanagh 2B._ I hit the buzzer and wait, but there's no answer.

"Come on..." I growl, hitting the buzzer again, longer this time. Again, no answer. "Fuck."

Someone heads out of the building as I'm standing there and I grab the door before it locks and run up the flight of steps, to the second floor. _Don't ignore me, Kavanagh. I'll bury you._

I find 2B and I knock on it, but there's no answer. _Maybe they left._ I put my ear to the door and I can hear sobbing, making my stomach clench. My poor Ana is in there, devastated...and another fucker is comforting her. The thought of my baby in the arms of another man makes me angry enough to try the handle, and surprisingly, it turns. I enter, not bothering to knock again, and immediately see male Kavanagh on the couch with _my_ girl in his lap, sobbing into his neck. _I want to kill the fucker._

"Get out." Ethan growls at me.

"If you didn't want to be bothered, then maybe you should have locked your fucking door, asshole. Get my fiance off your lap." It's a warning. I'll take the fucker down. I don't care who he is.

"She isn't your fiance anymore. She doesn't want to see you."

Anastasia peeks out from his neck and wipes at her eyes. "Just-Just give us a minute, okay?" She sits up and looks at the fucker, while her body is still wracked with sobs.

"You are in no shape to do this right now, Ana." He smooths her hair and I take a step forward, making him scowl at me.

She shakes her head. "I'm fine." She takes a shuddering breath in and lets it out slowly. "I just want to get this over with. I'm ready to be done."

My heart plummets into my stomach. _She's done with me._

She slips off his lap and sits on the couch next to him, but he regards her for a second, before finally succumbing.

"I'll be in the shower, then. I'll keep it unlocked, if you need me."

I clench my fists, but try to stay in control. I know it scares her when I throw my weight around and right now, I need to get on her good side. I can't imagine what is going through her head right now.

She looks up at me and takes another deep breath. "Why? Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you tell me I wasn't enough-"

I shake my head. "You are enough."

"-You always told me that you were monogamous through all of your relationships. Am I that unworthy to have you to myself? All you had to do was tell me and I would understand-"

"Ana-"

"Am I that worthless that you didn't even find it worth the effort to tell me that you went back to that lifestyle?"

"That's enough!" I bark, sick of her talking about herself like that. My sensitive girl does not need to be so self-deprecating.

I take the five steps over to her and kneel down in front of her, surprising her. I know I'm in a submissive position, but she needs to know how serious I am about this.

"Ana...I swear to you that I have not been cheating. I've never seen that girl before."

She rolls her eyes and I want to spank or pinch her backside, but I can't. "And I'm just supposed to believe that she wandered into your office randomly in lingerie and decided to submit to you."

 _That mouth..._

I sigh, trying to center myself. "No, someone sent her. She had every intention to seduce me, but I refrained. I was trying to get information out of her."

She shakes her head and her chin starts to quiver. "I don't know if I'll ever be able to get that image out of my head. I don't know what to believe or how to get through this."

"You've got to believe me. Please, Ana." I lay my head on her thighs and wrap my arms around her legs like I did with my mother the night I admitted everything to my family. She has got to see that I'm giving her everything. _I can't lose her._ "Everyone is trying to take our happiness away, and it's finally working. Please, don't let it."

I hear her sigh. "Christian..." Her voice fades and I can tell she doesn't know what to say or believe.

"I swear to you, I don't know that girl. You are the only woman for me. You are more than enough for me, Anastasia." I keep my cheek pressed against the top of her thighs, refusing to move even though she's gone quiet. _I won't leave without her._ My phone vibrates, the sound loud in the quiet room and I almost groan out loud. _I just want to be left alone._

"Who is that?" Anastasia's tone is almost accusing.

Begrudgingly, I lift my head and slip my hand into my pocket, pulling it out. Looking at it, I see that it's a private number.

"I don't know. It's private."

"Answer it."

My eyes shoot up to hers. "What?" _I never answer calls from unknown numbers._

"Answer it, Christian."

 _If it'll make her happy..._ I hit the green button, then hit the speaker, so that she can hear.

"This is Grey."

"Christian, what is going on? 'I can just go fuck myself'? Really, darling. Your mouth has gotten worse since you've left the lifestyle."

"Elena." I roll my eyes.

"I can tell by your tone that you need a release...now, I've spent a good amount of money on that girl to send her to you and you scared her off. What is wrong with you?"

I clench my jaw. "You're trying to break Anastasia and me up and I won't stand for it. It isn't going to work."

"Christian, you're making a mistake. You aren't marriage material, darling. It's only been a few months. You'll start craving the lifestyle again and you'll become bored with her. You need to dominate, Christian. You need me."

"You don't know what he needs." Anastasia growls into the phone.

"Pardon?" Elena growls back.

"You've controlled Christian long enough. It's over. He isn't yours, anymore. He's mine. Keep your fake nose out of our business or you might find it missing...do you understand?"

I'm kneeling in front of her completely shocked...and completely turned on. My girl is feisty and seeing her fight for me is heartwarming. _She's protecting me from my abuser._

"Who do you think you are?"

"Christian's soon-to-be wife and your worst nightmare."

My eyes almost pop out of my head.

"That's a laugh, dear. What is a mousy girl like you going to do?"

"I'm sure that Rick would be very interested to hear just what transpired between you and Christian when he was just fifteen. Say...doesn't he have a son Christian's age?"

"You little...you're lying."

Anastasia's mouth curls into a menacing grin. "Try me, Elena. I'd love to see what shape you're in when he gets through with you. Stay away from Christian and stay away from his family. Do you understand?"

"I don't have to take this." The line disconnects. Elena has hung up us.

My eyes meet Anastasia's again. "You're incredible."

She gives me a shy smile. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you."

I shake my head. "No need to apologize. I should probably thank the bitch for calling."

She scowls at me. "You will not."

I grin. "Or not."

I reach into my pocket and pull out the expensive pink diamond she took off earlier. I take her left hand and slide it back onto her ring finger, where it belongs.

"You're mine." I tell her and she nods.

"Yours."

I cup her face in both hands and kiss her long and slow, giving her a kiss that counts. When I pull back, I see that she's crying again.

"Baby?"

She shakes her head and gives a watery laugh. "I'm just so relieved. It felt like my whole world was ending and I-" Her bottom lip quivers and she shakes her head again, hiding her face in her hands.

"Oh, Ana...I'm sorry. Everything is fine." I smooth her hair and pull her hands away from her face so I can see her. "I love you, babydoll."

She sniffles and nods. "I love you, too, Christian. I can't wait to marry you."

I wrap my arms around her waist and squeeze her to me. "You've no idea, angel." My chest actually aches at having to wait another two weeks before she's my Mrs. Grey. "Can I get off my knees now?"

She giggles and pulls back, wiping her tears. "Yes, of course."

"Are you coming home with me?"

She nods. "Just let me tell Ethan I'm leaving."

I clench my jaw. _The fucker is naked, for Christ's sake._ "I don't want you going in there."

She gives me a small smile. "I'll just pop my head in. It's rude to leave without saying goodbye. He was there for me when I needed him."

I shrug. _I guess she's right._ "Hurry up."

She makes her way down the hall and I follow her, stopping at the entrance to the hall so I can watch her. She knocks and then opens the door, sticking her head in to talk. I hear the water running and I can hear her voice, but I can't make out what she's saying. A minute later, she shuts the door and makes her way back down the hall to me.

I reach out for her, needing the connection, and she immediately takes my hand.

"You ready to go home and make up?"

"Yes, please." She smiles up at me and I see a blush forming on her cheeks. _My shy Ana._

XxXxXx

"I want you." Anastasia is panting below me. We've just spent the last twenty minutes disrobing, kissing, and grinding, but our underwear have yet to be removed.

"Are you wet, angel?" She nods as I slip my fingers into her panties and pump two fingers into her, enjoying the sound of soaked girl. Her legs automatically open wider for me, but I slip my fingers out, rolling onto my back.

"Panties off, hop on." I demand, before sucking my fingers clean. I watch her remove her panties before climbing over to me, looking at my boxer-briefs. I grin.

"Well?"

She blinks at me a couple of times before grabbing the waistband and I lift my hips so that she can slide them off easier.

"That's my good girl. Hop on, baby." She straddles my thighs and inches up and I push my dick down to help her get into position before it slips into her. I release it slowly and the head slips into her folds easily, and I let out a groan. She's still a little hesitant about taking me quickly from on top, so I allow her time to sink down. It takes her three tries before she sinks down completely and my head is pushed up against her womb. She squeezes her eyes shut and I hold onto her waist, waiting for her to relax and enjoy it.

"You're so deep this way."

I grin. "I know. You feel incredible."

My comment makes her brave and she opens her eyes to look at me as she slowly begins to move up and down. She sinks down on me again and then grinds her hips, causing pleasure to shoot to all four limbs.

"Fuck. Ana...don't stop." I'm breathless and she's in control, but I don't care. _It felt fucking phenomenal._ I watch her grind on top of me with hooded eyes and I need more.

"My chest, babydoll." I sound like I'm in pain, but I'm not. I feel my orgasm building quickly and I'm trying to fight it off.

Her small, soft hands find my chest and she uses it for leverage as she grinds, her hair is tickling the front of my shoulders and the sides of my face and the smell of her is enveloping me. I can't hold it any longer.

"Ana...I've got to come... _Fuck!_ " I come like a freight train and grunt and twitch my way through it while my fingernails bite into her hips. My eyes are squeezed shut, but I feel her soft lips press against each one of my scars, her warm breath washing over my chest and my whole body relaxes with a hum. She rises up and my dick slides out of her flopping up against my pubic hair, before she sits back down on my hips. I open my eyes and see a smug grin on her face.

"You didn't come."

She shrugs. "I don't mind. That was the sexiest thing I've ever seen. Having the power to make my strong, alpha fall apart like that is more satisfying than having an orgasm."

I spank her and hear her hum as she closes her eyes to enjoy the sting. "Thank you, angel...but who has the power?"

She smiles down at me. "You, sir. You have the power. You allowed me to have free reign."

I spank her again, lighter this time, and she moans loudly. "Damn right, baby." _Controlling bastard._ A lucky one at that. My baby likes me that way.

I pull her down against me and pull her knees up so that she's more open and so that my dick is nestled between her lower lips. I spank her again and she automatically grinds and then moans at the feeling.

"That's it, baby." I coax, spanking her with both hands and making her rock against my cock again. "Keep going."

I continue to spank her and she continues to rock until I feel myself beginning to harden.

"Don't lift those hips."

She lifts her head and gives me a small pout.

I shake my head. "Keep rocking. Press hard against me." I spank her hard and she cries out rocking hard and, this time, she doesn't stop. I massage her warm, sore bottom as she works to get herself off and it doesn't take long before she's shuddering and crying out my name.

"That's my good girl." I kiss her forehead as she relaxes on top of me and I flip us over. I press into her, but her muscles are still contracted and I can't get in much past my head.

"Relax those muscles, Ana. I don't want to hurt you." I rise up on my knees and run my thumbs down each side of her core, coaxing her to relax. She takes a deep breath and her legs fall open, allowing me entry without hurting her.

"Good girl." I lay on top of her, pressing her into the mattress and kiss her lips. "Now you can squeeze as much as you want." I tease, and I feel her clamp around me as I pump.

"Fuck, baby. You're so tight."

She hums. "You feel like heaven, Christian."

I thrust hard, making her cry out. "I do, huh?" I thrust hard again.

"Yes! Oh, fuck...Christian!"

"Again?"

She nods and I thrust.

"Please...please, sir. Again!" I thrust hard again and kiss her hard, swallowing her cry.

"Should I keep going?"

She nods. "I need you, Christian."

I smile down at her. "That's my good girl. I need you too, baby."

It isn't long before we both find out release and I collapse on top of her in a heap while we recuperate. Her palms run up and down my back and she sighs.

"I love feeling you mark me." She admits quietly.

I smile against her neck. "What does it feel like?"

"Um...well...you sort of lengthen and twitch and then I feel a warmth so deep...it kind of coats me."

 _Good._ I purposely push as deep as I can so that my mark lasts as long as possible.

I feel her wiggle below me and I know my girl well enough to know she's getting turned on.

"Is the thought of my dick making you pink, baby?"

I hear her whimper and she wiggles under me again.

"My girl has been good today. She deserves another." I lean to the side and slip my hand between us, scissoring my fingers so I can massage both sides of her center and clit. I slide my fingers back and forth, lightly squeezing her clit between my fingers and her head falls back.

I kiss her chin. "Feel good?"

"Oh, yes. Please, don't stop." She's the one that's now breathless and I've got the smug grin.

"I won't." I promise.

I lean down and find her nipple, taking it into my mouth as I suck. I hear a low moan come from the back of her throat and she grinds against my hand.

"That's it. Keep going, angel." I coax, before biting her nipple lightly.

She mewls and I continue to nip and suck and her breathing accelerates.

"Christian..."

"My good girl can come." I bite down hard on the top mound of her breast before sucking, leaving a satisfying love bite while she detonates below me, screaming my name.

My fingers find my mouth and I hum, a mix of sweet and salty. _The taste of us_.

I hear her whimper and look down at her. "Taste?" I ask around my fingers.

She doesn't answer, but reaches up and pulls my hand out of my mouth, bringing my fingers to hers and sucks. _Fuck._

 _Don't get hard, Grey. Don't get hard._

My gaze drops from her mouth to her chest and I see my love bite becoming darker. "I like marking your body, baby."

I slip my fingers out of her mouth and continue down her body, leaving love bites on both breasts, her abdomen, and on the inside of each thigh. Once I am finished, I sit up on my knees, checking my handywork.

"It'll do for now." I state, laying back down to cuddle her.

She giggles. "For now?"

"I want to mark your body in other ways, too."

Her eyebrow raises and I bring my index finger to her full bottom lip and run it along her lip.

"Next time you use that mouth of yours, I don't want you to swallow. I want to start with your chest and slowly make my way down and eventually I'll know that there isn't a place on your body I haven't come."

She moans and turns, nuzzling into my neck. "I can't wait, Christian. I want to be yours in every way I can."

 **One more chapter and 'Ever Mine' will be done.**


	20. Ever Thine, Ever Mine, Ever Ours

**A/N: The last chapter. I will produce a third story, called 'Baby Mine', but I don't know how long it will take me to publish. I will add a note at the end when I do publish it, so that all of you are aware if you'd like to continue with this trilogy.**

We've been in Hawaii since Monday and it is now Thursday and everyone is flocking in from all over to watch us get married. I've really been enjoying my time with Anastasia alone, but I'm willing to give that up for a few days if it means that she'll become my wife and I'll get to spend the following weeks with her on our honeymoon. I'm sitting by the pool with my brother while my jackass cousins are in the pool, two of them groping their dates they brought to the wedding. How my father's brother ended up with four sons and no daughters is beyond me, but this sausage fest needs to end soon. My bride is still upstairs in our suite with the rest of the girls getting ready to come down. They spent the morning in the spa and I miss my girl.

It isn't long before they make their way down and I see that Mia is in a tiny bikini, not even bothering to cover up, Kate is in a one piece and, I'd never admit this out loud, but her little bump is quite cute. My girl is using one of my button-downs as a cover up again and she looks beautiful.

"Hi, baby." She greets me, kissing my lips quickly before having a seat next to me on the cabana.

"Hey. How was the spa?"

She gives me a wide smile. "It was incredible. So relaxing."

"No males, right?" When I called, I specifically asked that there be no male guests or employees anywhere near the girls.

She giggles. "No males."

I give her a nod. "Good." I open my arm and she snuggles into me, watching Mia and Kate in the water.

"Thank you."

"You're more than welcome, angel." She smiles up at me and I lean down for another kiss.

"Get a room!" My brother calls out, teasing.

I give him a playful scowl. "You're on my dime, El. Don't like it, don't watch."

He sticks his tongue out, making him look like he's six again, and Anastasia laughs.

"Right...since I am on your dime...waiter!" I watch him call the water in a white button up. "Get me another beer, will you?"

"I think I've changed my mind. Everyone! The next round is on Elliot! Cristal all around!"

Our guests in the pool cheer and Elliot scowls at me. "I guess I'll have to take back your wedding present to pay for it."

I snort. "Like you got us a wedding present..." Our relationship has gotten so much better since the night I admitted my past and now, I actually enjoy our little banter back and forth.

"I'm gifting you my presence."

"Well, you can just take it back."

Anastasia is giggling and she looks up at me and cups my cheek. "You are so cute."

I smile down at her. Being in Hawaii has been one of the best experiences of my life. I feel so carefree here. It's like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders and I can really enjoy myself for once. I haven't felt this relaxed...well...ever.

"Will you lotion me up before we get in the pool?"

"It'd be my pleasure, baby." I like having my hands all over her while there's an audience. It's my way of claiming her body in front of the others. I lean over and grab the Coppertone while she slips off my shirt. I turn back towards her and see that she's in a small, navy blue bikini with pink and white flowers.

"What are you wearing?" _It barely covers anything._

She looks down at herself. "A bikini?"

"You might as well go naked!" I growl at her.

She frowns. "But it's cute. Everyone here knows I'm yours. Mia is wearing less than I am."

"That isn't the point, Anastasia! I don't want other fuckers getting a look at what's mine."

She looks up at me and I see her eyes start to swim with tears. "I...I'm sorry, sir. I thought it was cute. I'll cover back up." She grabs my shirt and begins to pull it onto her shoulders, but I stop her. I hate the fact that I've upset her. I know I'm overreacting, but I'm a selfish bastard. I don't want any bastard being able to eyefuck her.

"I'll let you wear it if you promise to stay close to me." I won't have anyone thinking she's free game. "I'm sorry I was so harsh." _Tomorrow, I'll pick her swimwear._

"I didn't mean to upset you, Christian."

I slip the shirt down her arms and throw it beside us on the cabana. "I know, angel. Lay on your stomach and I'll lather you up."

I take my time, making sure she's completely covered and enjoying getting to rub her down. _The suit really does look sweet on her._

When I'm finished with her backside, I swat her butt and she rolls over with a giggle. I don't think I've ever heard her laugh as much as she has this last week and it's like music to my ears. I didn't know it was possible to desire someone else's happiness so much until Anastasia. She's turned my world completely upside down and it's exactly what I need. I don't know what I did to deserve her, but I'm thankful every day for the beautiful creature in front of me. _Fuck, I sound like a sap. Perhaps, I should check and make sure I still have my balls._

When I get to Ana's feet, I purposely tickle the bottoms, making her squeal and begin to kick, and I almost get a foot to the face.

"Tickle torture is a soft limit!" She states through her giggling.

I cock an eyebrow. "But, not a hard limit...so, I'll push your soft limit now."

"No!" She tries to wiggle away, but I grab her calves and yank her back down.

"Did you just tell me no, Miss Steele?"

She bites her bottom lip and tries to look serious. "I don't recall."

"Well, that's convenient." I turn her sideways and swat her butt again. "Come on, up you go. It's pool time."

XxXxXx

"Time out. I need a drink." My brother and I have just finished laps in the pool and my mouth is surprisingly dry. Anastasia is lounging with the girls under a cabana and I can hear them giggling as I pull myself out of the water. I'm relieved that everyone is having a good time, but I'm ready to wrap this shit up so we can get on with the honeymoon.

I grab a water from the pool bar and down half the bottle.

"Excuse me..."

I pull the bottle from my lips and look down to see a tall, young blonde woman in a white bikini looking up at me.

"Yes?"

"Sorry to bother you, but...I found these next to the pool. Are these yours?" She asks, batting her eyes up at me. She has my Raybans in her hand.

"Oh, great! You've found my husband's sunglasses! Thank you." Anastasia has shown up out of no where and steps in front of me, taking the glasses from the blonde's hand.

The blonde's eyebrows knit together in confusion as she looks down at my petite girl. "Uh, no problem?"

Anastasia turns on her heel and looks up at me, holding out my glasses. "Look, baby. I found your glasses."

Out of the corner of my eye, I see the blonde give her a scowl, before flipping her hair and stomping off in the opposite direction.

I smile and shake my head. "Husband?"

She giggles and takes my hand, pulling me towards the cabanas. "Close enough."

"Come on, _wife_ , let's go have some fun." I grab her and pick her up, making her squeal. I make my way towards the pool and she clings to me.

"Christian! Don't you dare!"

At the edge of the pool I stop and give her a grin as I try pull her off of me to throw her in, but she has a death grip around my neck.

"Have it your way." I drop the bottle and the sunglasses and make the leap.

"Christian!" She squeals my name right before we're submerged, and when we both come up, she's got a look that could kill.

"Are you being discourteous to your alpha?"

A smile forms on her face and she shakes her head. "No, sir. I love my alpha." Her lips find my neck and she kisses her way from my neck to my jaw line, stopping on my lips.

"How much?"

"You've brought the handcuffs and aloe, right?"

 _Oh, fuck._ "Yes, angel."

She grins and pecks my lips again. "Then I'll show you tonight."

"Why wait?"

XxXxXx

I yank her wet bikini off and throw her onto the bed, before pulling off my own board shorts. She's already wiggling on the bed and I kneel next to her and turn her hip, spanking her.

"Still."

She lets out a puff of air. "Yes, sir."

I leave her panting on the bed while I go in search of the handcuffs, blindfold, candle, and matches. I haven't used wax play on her, yet, but I'm eager to try. She's willing to show her dominant how much she loves him...well, then, we'll see how much trust she has in him.

"Eyes closed, Anastasia." I call from the other room. I give her two seconds before stepping into the room and, like a good girl, her eyes are closed.

I place the matches and candle on the bedside table and kneel beside her on the bed, slipping on her blindfold first. Next, I take her wrist and handcuff it before lifting it towards the head board. I slide the loose handcuff through the slat in the headboard and pull it back through so I can handcuff her other wrist.

I take in my girl, hands cuffed above her head, sightless, and naked and I smile. She trusts me completely and there's nothing I find sexier. I kiss her lips and sit back to strike the match. The sound makes her gasp and I light the candle and blow out the match. The air conditioner kicks on and I see goosebumps form along her body, her nipples hardening with the cold air. She shivers and I immediately cover her with my body.

"I've got you, baby."

I kiss her lips and she's quick to deepen it, arching her back to be closer to me. I press her into the mattress and continue dominating her mouth, making her whimper. My lips find their way down her throat and latch onto her nipple.

"Oh, Christian..." Her head rolls to the side as I continue and then kiss my way across to give attention to the opposite side. I bite down, making her hips shoot up and she cries out. I immediately soothe it with a gentle sucking motion and she moans.

"So good..." She whispers.

I pull away from her breast and it makes a popping sound as it releases. I continue down her body and her mewling just gets louder. When my lips hit her navel, her legs open wide for me.

"That's a good girl, Anastasia. Show me what's mine."

Her knees bend and she places her feet flat on the bed, her core completely open for me. I slide down until my face is hovering above her core and nuzzle her hair, breathing deeply. _Musky, sweet, and familiar._ I love the way she smells.

My tongue comes out to swipe up her slit and, out of the corner of my eye, I see her toes curl.

I lower my mouth and do it again, groaning. _Milk and honey._

"You taste so good, angel." I kiss her center one last time and sit up, making her whimper at the loss.

"I need you to trust me, now, Anastasia." I lean over and grab the candle off the side of the bed.

She nods. "Yes, sir. Completely."

I bend down and give her a chaste kiss on her lips before holding the candle above her, between her breasts. I tip it and the wax pours out of the candle and I make a line down the center of her body. As the wax hits, she gasps and her body bows off the bed.

I continue down her body and she moans and wiggles.

"Still. We don't want a mess."

"Yes, sir." She's breathless and panting and as I finish at her navel, I look down and she's so soaked, the bed is wet. _Let's not let it go to waste._

I set the candle back down and bury my face between her legs, getting to work. Her hips try to lift again as she cries out, but I hold them down.

"Please...please. Please let me come..." She is begging as she pants and begins to yank at her bindings above her.

"Shhh, ssshhh, baby. Just feel it. I'll let you come."

Her legs fall open and she sighs in relief. "Thank you, sir."

I begin to suck her clit and slip two fingers into her core, feeling it pulse around me already. _She's already so close..._ I curl my fingers and suck hard, pushing her over the edge.

I sit up on my knees and roll her to her side. "I'm going to fuck you hard, Anastasia."

XxXxXx

It is the night of our rehearsal dinner. _Finally._ Tomorrow, Anastasia will become my wife and we'll live happily ever after. We've got security everywhere, checking everyone, including the caterers, employees, and decorators since we haven't caught Hyde, yet. We don't know who he knows or who he could be working with, and I am not willing to take the chance of our wedding being ruined or Anastasia being hurt or taken.

"You look positively stunning." I have to pick my jaw up off the floor when my girl steps out in her rehearsal dinner dress. It's a 50's tea length, a-line lace dress in blush. _My sweet Ana._

"You really like it?" She spins for me and makes the dress twirl around her legs. She's wearing rose gold 50's heels to match her dress and it's perfect.

I smile and wrap my arms around her. "You look so sweet. I love it."

She pecks me on the lips. "Good. I wanted to make sure I wore something you would have picked for me tonight because...well, my wedding dress isn't...um...as traditional as this one."

 _Oh, really?_ "Are you telling me that it looks like Kate's?"

Her eyes widen. "Oh, no. I wouldn't be comfortable in something like that."

"What does it look like?"

She giggles. "You'll just have to wait and see."

I'd be lying if I said that this doesn't make me a bit nervous. I need to trust my Anastasia and know that she wouldn't choose anything too provocative for our wedding.

XxXxXx

We make our way down to the Humuhumunukunukuapua'a restaurant after the rehearsal, which went much smoother than I thought it would. Being married right after Kate and Elliot really does have its perks. I loved watching my girl walk down the aisle with Ray, but I'm looking forward to the real thing tomorrow. Tonight, though, we're going to have a few drinks and enjoy the atmosphere. The restaurant is covered, but outside so that we can enjoy the water and the scenery during the sunset.

"Come on, baby. Let's have a seat. We've got your favorite champagne." She loves Rose Bollinger, so I had it flown in for the wedding. I escort her to where our rose gold, crystal champagne flutes are sitting and we're immediately greeted by a waiter who pours the champagne. The guests who aren't part of the wedding party are already here waiting for us and I notice that my cousins are already intoxicated. _I should have made a drink limit._ They're already being loud and obnoxious and I'm finding it hard to keep my temper.

"Hey..." Anastasia calls quietly, pulling my attention from the chaos. She reaches up and cups the side of my face, pulling it closer to hers for a kiss. "I love you."

I smile down at her. "I love you, too, baby." It's her way of calming me down and it works quite effectively. My attention should be concentrated on my beautiful girl. This is our last night of being an engaged couple. This chapter will close, but an even better one begin. _I can't wait._

"This time tomorrow, you'll be all mine." I wrap my arm around her and kiss her temple. "You'll be stuck with me forever. Are you sure about this?" I tease.

She giggles and rests her head against my shoulder. "There's no one I'd rather be stuck with than you, Christian."

"May we sit here, sweet pea?" Ray asks Ana.

"Of course you can." She answers. My parents follow suit and my father takes a seat next to me.

"Are you looking forward to moving into the new house after the honeymoon?" Ray asks Ana, but I don't get to hear her response because my father gets my attention.

"Have you heard anything more on Hyde?" My father whispers. I told him that he bought a gun, but I never told him about Detroit.

I shake my head subtly. I don't want Anastasia overhearing us.

"What is taking so long?"

I shrug. "Since they found out he changed his name, they're having a hard time tracing his background."

My father gives me a puzzled look. "He changed his name? Why haven't you mentioned this before?"

"Because it wasn't something you needed to know."

My father rolls his eyes and clenches his jaw. He's pissed, but I don't really give a fuck.

"What was his name, Christian?"

Deciding it isn't going to hurt anything, I tell him. "Peter Jackson."

My father goes white and suddenly I feel sick to my stomach.

"Dad...what is it?"

He sighs and empties the rest of his champagne flute. "The family that you stayed with while we were finalizing the paperwork...their names were the Jackson's. Do you remember them? They use to call you baby bird."

 _Baby bird..._

 _'What's wrong, baby bird?'  
_ _'What did you say?'  
_ _'Nothing.'_

I thought it was so odd for the fucker to call me that. The bastard was giving me a clue and I completely missed it. _Fuck.  
_

I don't remember them, but I nod, pretending I do so that he'll continue.

"There was a boy there named Peter that they ended up adopting shortly after we brought you home. I don't know if it's the same Peter Jackson, but that'd be one hell of a coincidence."

 _Why the fuck didn't I mention his name before?_

"Christian? Is everything okay?" Anastasia is looking up at me with a worried look on her face.

"Everything is great, babydoll." I wrap my arm back around her and pull her close, kissing the top of her head.

She looks up at me, chewing her lip, but doesn't say a word. I tap her chin and she stops, but I can tell she still isn't sure. I watch her reach for her champagne and take a sip before relaxing back against me.

"That's my good girl." I whisper in my ear. She knows I'm lying, but she's letting it go for now and I appreciate it. I'll tell her what I've found out, but not until after our wedding. I refuse to allow that fucker to be brought up again before the wedding. I'll tell my father to speak with Taylor after.

XxXxXx

"Walk with me." I whisper to Ana, after dinner is over. Everyone is talking amongst themselves while they finish their dessert and champagne and I want a minute alone with her.

I offer my hand to her and she willingly accepts, allowing me to escort her towards the opposite side of the restaurant, to a small round dock away from everyone. The moon is big and bright and the dock sits in front of a waterfall, the sound quite soothing.

"It's beautiful here." Anastasia mentions resting her hands on the wooden banister. I watch her from behind and see her shiver slightly when the breeze blows. It's cooler on the water and my girl has no sleeves. I'm disappointed that I hadn't thought of bringing a jacket for her, but I've got my own, so I slide it off and drape it over her.

It surprises her and she gasps before craning her neck around to see me. "Thank you, sir."

I wrap my arms around her and pull her back against my front, enjoying the moment.

"Have you enjoyed your week?"

She relaxes back against me. "It's been a dream, Christian. Better than I could have ever imagined. Thank you for standing up to Mia for me through this. She would have been unbearable without you."

My lips find the top of her head again. "You're welcome, baby. Your happiness means everything to me. I wanted this to be your dream wedding." Mia tried to convince Anastasia that we should have our wedding in Ireland, in a castle since we had the funds to do something so extravagant. The point of leaving Seattle was to get away from the dreary, cold weather and be in the middle of nature, where Ana belongs. Being in a large, cold, dank castle is not her idea of a great wedding. Once Mia had continued to complain that the wedding colors and destination were ridiculous together, making Anastasia so frustrated that she had tears in her eyes, I shut that shit down. I banned Mia from helping with the wedding and she's been out of the loop for the last couple weeks. Mia's been hard to deal with, but seeing Anastasia so happy, is worth it.

"Dream wedding with my dream man. Luckiest girl in the world."

I grin. "I'm the lucky one, angel. You saved me from myself and showed me just how wonderful life could be."

"Oh, Christian..." She turns and reaches for my lips and I gladly bend to meet her halfway.

When we pull away, she giggles and wipes at her eyes. _She's getting teary-eyed._ It's been happening a lot throughout the wedding process, but she has assured me that it's all happy tears.

"You're going to end up a hunchback if you keep kissing me like that."

I grin. "Then you can just call me Quasimodo, because there is no way I'm giving it up."

She grins and shakes her head. "You're silly."

 _Why does she have to be so fucking adorable?_

"I've got something to show you." I reach into the inside of the coat jacket she has on and pull out a box. "I was going to wait until our ring ceremony to show you the rings I picked out, but I think tomorrow is going to be emotional enough." I told her I wanted our bands to be a surprise and she has yet to see what they are.

A large smile appears on her face. "I'm so excited!" She steps closer and grips my belt while I open the box with our rings.

"I'm going to show you yours first." I state hiding them from her when she tries to peek.

"Okay! Let me see!"

I cock and eyebrow at her playfully.

"I mean, let me see, please. Sir." She batts her eyes up at me, making me chuckle.

"Since you asked so nicely..." I pull hers out and hand it to her.

It takes her a second, but then she realizes, and covers her mouth.

"Do you know what that is?"

She nods and she gets teary-eyed again. "It's a Celtic infinity knot." Sniffling, she examines it closely. "It's perfect. Oh...wow. I don't even...I don't know what to say."

I smile and pull her to me, hugging her. "Just promise you'll be mine forever."

Her face is hidden in my chest, but she nods. She looks up at me and smiles. "Thank you, Christian."

"Baby...you are more than welcome. Do you want to see mine?"

She nods eagerly and hands me back her ring.

"You sure you want to see it?" I tease.

"Christian!" She reaches for it and I hold it above my head. "Christian! Let me see!" She reaches up and jumps, but isn't even close.

"Don't make me climb you!"

I cock an eyebrow. _I wouldn't mind that._

"You can try..."

Her eyes widen. "Christian...I'm in a dress! And our family is here!" She sounds affronted and it only makes me laugh harder.

Her bottom lip comes out in a dramatic pout and she holds her hands out in front of her. "Please, sir?"

"Well, how can I resist that?" I place my ring in her hand and she beams at her accomplishment.

She turns towards the light to look at it and I can't see her face. She stills, but says nothing, and I don't know what to think about it. I take a step toward her and she turns towards me.

"Oh, Ana..." Tears are flowing down her face and she lets out a sob. "Come here, baby."

She reaches up and wraps her arms around my neck and I pick her up, allowing her to wrap her legs around me. She continues to sob into my neck and I don't really know what to think of it. She either absolutely hates the idea or it or absolutely loves it.

"Ana, baby. Talk to me." I urge, rubbing her back. "Do you hate it?"

She shakes her head in my neck and raises it to look at me. "I absolutely love it. It means so much...I just...I can't." She lets out another sob and I wipe her tears away. I am beyond glad that I didn't wait until tomorrow. My poor girl is a hot mess.

She holds onto my neck with one arm and examines the ring again. It's a platinum band with a Celtic knot etched in it with diamond accents. "Are you sure you want to wear this?"

I smile and kiss her mouth. "I'm yours, aren't I?"

She nods. "Yes. All mine."

"It's getting late, baby. Let me carry you up to bed."

"Okay."

After my ring is back in the box, I slip it into my trouser pocket and we make our way back towards the party so I can tell our parents we're turning in.

"What do you mean? You aren't honestly going to sleep in the same bed are you? It's bad luck!" Carla barks at me. "Put her down! Ana...why don't you stay with us tonight?"

"Absolutely not, Carla. You've already kept us apart once and it didn't turn out well. She needs to be rested for tomorrow. Say goodnight."

Carla looks horrified. "You aren't going to carry her the whole way are you? What will people think?"

My anger is rising and I feel Anastasia's hand on my chest, trying to calm me. "Frankly, Carla, I don't give a fuck what anyone else thinks. I'd appreciate it if you would mind your own business! Now...we are going to bed. If you do not want to say goodnight to your daughter, then that is your decision."

"Anastasia is my business!" Her voice is rising and I don't appreciate it. She can fucking scowl at me all she wants, but I will not allow her to scream at me.

"Lower your voice. Let's get something straight. Anastasia is MINE. I love her, I support her, and I take care of her. She is my number one priority. The second you chose to turn your nose up at her because of your jealousy, was the second she stopped being any concern of yours." Carla's eyes fill with tears, only angering me further. I won't allow her to play victim.

"Christian...easy." My mother warns.

"No. I will not take it easy. She is the reason why Anastasia is so insecure. I'm sick of her passive-aggressive behavior towards our family and her own daughter. Anastasia deserves everything that she has. She is one of the sweetest, most generous people I have ever encountered. She cares so much for people...so much, in fact, that she can't find it in her heart to sever a relationship, even if it's toxic. Your daughter is extraordinary, but you can't even see it because your head is so far up your ass!"

"Christian!" My father barks at me, but I ignore him.

Carla jumps up, ready to scream, but Ray rises with her and puts a hand on her shoulder, immediately silencing her. I'm surprised he hasn't stopped me, yet. His face is emotionless and he hasn't said a word. Deciding not to push my luck much further, I wrap it up.

"Moving forward, I won't be allowing you to affect Anastasia with your negativity anymore. So, if I were you, I'd think long and hard on if this passive-aggressive jealousy shit is worth losing your only child..and possibly your own marriage...over. I know Ray would be devastated if you were the reason why he couldn't see her anymore. Now. We are going to bed. Say. Good. Night."

Ray is the first to move and comes to kiss her cheek. "Goodnight, sweet pea. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Night, Daddy."

"Anastasia..." Her mother gives one last ditch effort to regain control. "Please..."

"I'm Christian's, Mom." She tightens her grip around my neck and I can't control my smug grin.

My parents say goodnight and I make my way towards the exit with my girl clinging to me in her usual monkey form when I hear Carla's voice again.

"Ray, you can't possibly allow him to-" Her voice stops and I look behind me to see him whispering in her ear while she looks at the floor pouting. _I hope he puts her in her place._

XxXxXx

The alarm wakes me and I stretch before reaching over to turn it off. I roll towards my girl and she's still sleeping. _She's such a deep sleeper._ I slide closer to her and kiss her lips. When I pull away, I see the corners of her lips twitch up into a grin.

"Good morning, Miss Steele." I get a deep sense of satisfaction knowing that she won't be called that much longer.

She stretches and makes a cute little sound as she she relaxes. "Good morning, Christian."

"We get married today."

She smiles and curls up to me. "Are you ready?"

I lift the covers and peek at our naked bodies. "I think we should probably get dressed first."

She giggles. "I don't want to imagine what _that_ sunburn would feel like if we didn't."

"No need to worry, cause I'll never allow that to happen. You're for my eyes only."

She climbs on me and presses a kiss to my lips. "Yes, sir. Only yours."

My hands find her thighs and squeeze. "Why don't you climb on, baby?"

She wiggles her finger at me "Nuh-uh-uh, Mr. Grey. Not until tonight."

I pout. "You pick the only day it's acceptable to deny me your body, Anastasia."

"I'm not denying you, Christian...think of it as delayed gratification. Tonight, I'm all yours. Wherever you want me, however you want me, as long as you want me."

A grin forms on my face. "A couple of _I do's_ and you'll be mine...mind, body, and spirit...to do with as I please."

She moans and wiggles her hips. I grab her and roll her under me, attacking her neck.

"Mmm, Christian..."

I run my nose up her neck and over her ear before taking her earlobe into my mouth. Her hips raise and grind against mine.

"Tell me what you want, angel."

"You." She breathes out. "I want you, sir."

"You'll wait."

"What?" Her expression is priceless.

"Just call it delayed gratification." I turn her and smack her asscheek quickly before climbing out of bed and leaving her stunned in the middle of the bed.

"I'll draw you a bubble bath and wash your hair before I leave for Elliot's suite."

XxXxXx

Taylor, Elliot, Ethan, my father, Ray and I spend the morning on the golf course. My golf game is terrible and I don't like it much, but golf seems to be a staple in the business world. God fucking forbid that we talk business in the office, where it's meant to take place. Because of this, my brother and father think that I must like it, and they were excited to get a game in before the wedding. At least they'll enjoy themselves. Things between Ethan and I are still tense, but he's in the wedding party and I couldn't leave him out. Mia begged me to let him be a groomsmen and Anastasia wanted him in the wedding, so I gave in. Elliot, Ethan, and Taylor are my groomsmen and Kate, Mia, and Gail are Ana's bridesmaids. I have a couple gifts for Ana and I'm going to have Taylor drop them across the hall to our suite, where all the girls are getting ready.

"Sir, are the presents ready?" Taylor asks.

"Taylor...don't you think it's about time to call me Christian?" He's been in my life long enough...and he's a groomsman for fuck's sake. He deserves a first-name basis.

Taylor's face is priceless.

"Call me Christian, Taylor. And I'm just about done." _I still need to write her notes._

I've had the florist make her a crown of flowers to surprise Anastasia. _Today, she becomes my queen._ I grin at the thought. I don't know what it is in Italian, but I'm fluent in French, so I go with that.

 _A queen deserves a crown on her wedding day.  
I had this one made, just for you.  
My Anastasia, Ma Reine, My Everything._

 _Your Future Husband_

The second gift I got her is a platinum and diamond choker with earrings and bracelet to match. This note I decide to keep short and to the point.

 _Ever Mine._

 _Sir._

I slip the notes in the proper boxes and hand them to Taylor. "Make sure she's calm and that my sister isn't acting up."

"Will do."

I watch him leave and decide I better get a shower and start getting ready. The men are doing photos before the wedding so I'll need to be dressed in an hour. I make quick work of my shower and jump out to brush my teeth and try to do something with my unruly hair. Luckily, Ana likes it messy, because it never wants to lay right. She once called it 'Just Fucked' hair, but to me it looks like never ending bedhead. I haven't shaved this week, but Ana took away my razor and hid it so that I wouldn't shave for the wedding. I could ask Elliot to borrow his, but she enjoys the scruff...and I like the way she reacts when I rub it over her sensitive skin...so I'll let it be.

I slip on my boxer briefs and head out into the main living quarters to fetch my suit.

"Dude...put on some clothes." Elliot wrinkles his nose in disgust and I roll my eyes. "I don't want to see your twig and berries."

I snort. "I don't know what you're working with, but if you're comparing yours to a twig and berries, I feel bad for Kate. Mine is more like...an anaconda between two boulders."

"You better stop with the lies or your nose is going to grow."

"The only thing that grows is my anaconda and only when Anastasia is around."

"Stop it."

"If you go get Anastasia, I'll show you." I slip my thumbs into the waistband of my boxer-briefs and he runs towards the bedroom.

"You're disgusting!" He slams the door behind him.

I laugh at his dramatics. _Idiot._ At least now I can get dressed in peace.

I get my bottoms on just as Taylor makes his way back through and he's carrying a box with a bow on it. I'm actually giddy about getting a present from my girl. I take it from him and place it on the table so I can unwrap it.

Inside is a pair of blush socks with gray polka dots, a watch, and a belt... _a belt?_

There's a note, so I read it.

 _My Dearest Christian,  
I ask that you wear everything I have enclosed in the box today,  
All for different reasons.  
The socks are so that you don't get cold feet,  
The watch so that you don't lose track of time.  
And the belt, which you'll understand once you read the inside.  
So slip on the socks,  
Set your watch for five,  
Warm up that belt,  
And meet down in the woods.  
I'll be the one wearing the veil._

 _Your Ana_

 _My Ana..._ In a few hours, she'll be completely mine. We'll be bound together by our vows and our love for each other. She'll take my name and I'll get to claim her as my wife. It's hard to believe that only four months ago, I was a rageful, hateful being who liked to beat women. A man who swore he'd never be pussy-whipped...Never say never, I suppose. I love Anastasia with everything I have and I couldn't imagine hurting her the way I hurt others. Her giggle is much better than the tears I forcibly brought out in the others, her voice much better than the silence I once demanded from the ones that don't matter. I love her sass, her shyness, and her obedience all at once. She's the perfect mix of spunk and sub for me and she plays both sides well.

I reach in and take the belt, flipping it over. On the inside, in gold writing it states, ' _Just one more?_ _'_

 _Oh, fuck._ She bought me a new belt to use on her. I feel my dick twitch and I force my thoughts away from it and begin slipping the belt through my belt loops. I love that we'll both know what this belt signifies, but no one else will...much like her chokers.

 _This belt is definitely coming with us to the honeymoon._

As I unclip the watch to slip it on, I see that the inside is engraved. It reads ' _Ever Thine, Ever Mine, Ever Ours. September 24, 2011'._

I have dozens of belts and watches, but these have definitely become my favorite. None of the others could ever compare.

XxXxXx

 _The Art of Marriage_

 _A good marriage must be created._  
 _In the art of marriage, the little things are the big things._  
 _It is never being too old to hold hands._  
 _It is remembering to say, 'I love you,' at least once each day._  
 _It is never going to sleep angry._  
 _It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives._  
 _It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family._  
 _It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways._  
 _It is having the capacity to forgive and forget._  
 _It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow._  
 _It is finding room for the things of the spirit._  
 _It is a common search for the good and the beautiful._  
 _It is not only marrying the right partner, It is being the right partner._

Pictures with the groomsmen took an extremely long time and we don't get done until close to the ceremony. I take my place in front, breathing in through my nose and out through my mouth to try and keep calm. I'm excited, nervous, anxious, frustrated, and impatient. I want to see my girl and I want her to become my wife. I must be fidgeting, because Elliot takes notice.

"Relax, bro. It'll be worth the wait." His hand comes up to squeeze my shoulder and it is actually comforting.

I check the time again and see that it's five minutes til. All of our guests are here and in their seats, and I wish that they'd just start the music already. _This is the longest wait of my life._

"After the wedding, comes the baby making, right? The best is yet to come."

I roll my eyes. "No babies." _I'd be a terrible father._ With my sadistic genes, who knows what the poor child would be objected to or how they'd turn out.

Elliot looks surprised, confusing me. "Ana doesn't want children?"

 _Oh shit._ "We've never really talked about it." _She knows people like_ us _don't usually have babies, right?_ Okay, now I'm worried.

"I see...well, that might be worth mentioning during the honeymoon."

"This is a shitty time to bring up something like that!" I growl into his ear.

"Take a breather, Christian. I'm sure everything will be fine. Just talk to her about it."

The music starts and I'm forced to turn back towards the front, taking a deep, cleansing breath. _For fuck's sake._

Our grandparents come down the aisle and then my parents, with my mother crying, as expected. She stops up at the front and kisses my cheek.

"My darling baby boy. You look so handsome." She reaches up and wipes at my cheek, cleaning off her lipstick. "I love you."

I grin and pull her in for a hug. "I love you to, Mom."

When they take their seats, Ana's parents are on their way down the aisle and Ray is the tearful one, while Carla is scowling at me. _I couldn't give a fuck if she likes me or not._ Hopefully, she didn't give Ana a hard time today. If she did, she'll have hell to pay. I watch Ray make his way back up the aisle to return to Anastasia and wish I could come with him.

The girls come in next, one by one in their short, flowy blush dresses, but my mind wanders to what Anastasia might look like. Once Kate with her baby bump makes her way down, the ushers roll out the white aisle runner, another surprise I have for Anastasia. She thinks she'll be making her way down on just an aisle made of white rose petals. At the end of the runner it states 'And they lived happily ever after'. I'm looking forward to her noticing it.

Next down the aisle is Taylor's daughter, Sophia, as the flower girl, and Anastasia's cousin's son, Charlie, as the ring bearer. Sophia throws white daisies out as she goes, a reminder of her secret hiding spot she shared with me. They separate at the end, like they're supposed to, but Sophia thinks twice and hurries over to the other side to be with her daddy, making everyone laugh. She clings to Taylor's waist, hiding in his abdomen, shy and embarrassed, and I watch Taylor wrap both of his arms around her securely. I can't help, but grin at the sweet relationship between Taylor and Sophia.

The music changes and the pastor asks everyone to rise. _This is it!_ I take one last, deep breath and fix my eyes on the opening in the trees.

 _Holy. Fuck._ She is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. Her dress is V-neck, long and flowy with just a little bit of fullness. It's blush with white, rose accents all over the bodice and throughout the skirt. I see a glimpse of her sky high, sparkling gold shoes as she walks. Her hair is down in soft waves and the crown I gave to her is on her head, with the veil attached. Her makeup is light just like I like it and her eyes are wide and sparkling. I have to resist the urge to just go get her myself.

She looks down at the carpet and back up to me, smiling. She swallows and I know she's holding back tears. I watch my gorgeous fiance make her way up with her father and the closer she gets, the more stunning she is. _She's mine. Forever._ The thought makes me choke up and I blink away tears and quickly wipe away the ones that fall. My tears must have encouraged hers, because I see a few fall. _I can't take it anymore._

I take a few steps forward, meeting Ana and Ray before they can make it to me, and I hear a few laughs and coo's from the crowd. _Fuck off._

"You're absolutely breathtaking."

My future is smiling up at me with clear blue eyes and it's the most incredible sight I've ever seen. Ray shakes my hand before taking hers and putting it in mine. "I'm giving you the most precious gift ever given to me, don't break her."

"I will cherish her, love her, and build my life around her to protect her. I won't let you down. I won't let her down."

He smiles and clamps me on my shoulder. "Welcome to the family, son."

He gives Anastasia a kiss on the cheek and returns to his seat. I escort Anastasia back up to the front so we can continue. _It can't come soon enough._

"Today, as we join Christian and Anastasia in marriage, we celebrate them as they begin a new family together. Yet we also know that this new branch of the family tree will be strengthened and enriched by the love, traditions, and knowledge of their family roots.

Will you, Ray, Carla, Carrick, and Grace bless Christian and Anastasia in their marriage? Will you celebrate them in their times of joy, and bolster them and their marriage in times of hardship?"

Together, our parents say, "We do."

XxXxXx

"Christian and Anastasia have decided to write their own vows. Christian, you may start."

"I always thought of my life as a machine. I was living on autopilot, doing the same thing every day...every week. The repetition was comforting, but mundane. I felt a sense of control and had convinced myself that I couldn't function any other way. Although, I felt in control, I was still rageful. It caused me to sever ties that I thought could never be mended and to close myself off to the people that loved me the most. After years of struggle, my loved ones had finally given up hope and left me alone. You saw something in me that the others had given up hope on, and you somehow not only forced me to open up, but to mend the relationships I severed. Anastasia, you are my angel, my reason for happiness, and my lifeline. I realize that I never knew what true living was until you. Your calm demeanor and free spirit spoke to me unlike any other. It broke me down and built me back up so that I could be the man I was always meant to be...the man that you need me to be. I promise to try to be worthy of your love in every way, to make my life forever yours and to build my dreams around you. I will be honest, caring, patient and forgiving, and I will always be a loyal husband. I promise to listen, to hear, and to always consider your feelings as we begin our next chapter. You are both, my greatest strength and my greatest weakness, and I will forsake all others to protect what is mine."

"Anastasia, Christian has opened his heart to you. He is putting it in your hands. Do not crush or mutilate it, but care for it in a gentle manner. He has given you the biggest and most fragile part of him. Be aware of how raw and how sensitive it is and respect his gift by protecting both it and your marriage. Encourage the love that the two of you have, to grow each and every day. If you see your husband beginning to close off, go to him. Encourage him to open up and to trust you. Be there for him and support him no matter what. The wife is the husband's backbone, which keeps him strong and confident. Without it, a man cannot stand, cannot function...so stand behind your husband, motivate him to be a better man, and praise him as he succeeds. Anastasia, you may now make your vows known."

"There was a time that I thought I would never find a partner...a knight in shining armor...a soul-mate. As a child, I dreamt of having a storybook love that I felt I never deserved. No one ever lived up to the imaginary love I had built up in my head, that is, until Christian stepped in. Nikita Gill once said, 'If he tastes like rainfall, looks like a summer storm, fights for you like a forest fire; he's a tornado of trouble...and you need to hold on and never ever let him go. To me, you are all of those things. You are every one of the four elements wrapped up in one, made just for me. You are my knight, my protector, and my soul-mate. I willingly give myself to you, to submit to you, and only you. You are my King and I am your Queen. The role of the Queen is to protect her King, and that's what I intend to do. I will fight for you, with you, no matter the cost. I trust you with all of my being and will follow you throughout our journey together. I am here to support you, to strengthen you, and to love you. I belong to you. I am irrevocably yours."

"As a wife, she is choosing to honor her husband, not because she is weak, but because she is strong. It takes a strong person to release control and to trust another with their whole being. Christian, she is giving herself to you today, she is putting her life in your hands. Do not stifle her creativity, stunt her personal growth, or crush her confidence. Instead, fuel it, encourage it, and praise it. When I asked Ray and Carla to describe Anastasia to me, they described her as their 'little flower child'. Ana is choosing to link herself to you. Don't suffocate her, but let her run free...and go with her, lead her...join in the adventure with her.

"You are a blessed young man to have such a devoted wife and you are a blessed young woman to have such a strong husband. Even through the hard times, remember the blessings that you share. Please take each other by the hand."

Anastasia hands Kate her bouquet and turns back towards me, so that I can take both of her hands in mine. My thumbs find the back of her hands and I caress them.

"These hands that you are holding are the hands of your best friend, and as you hold them, promise to love each other all the days of your life. These are the hands that will work together as you build your future and make your dreams reality. These are the hands that will comfort you in illness and trials, and share the joy and happiness of life together. These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you all through the years. May you always hold each other and give strength to each other to hold onto during the storms and stresses of life.

"The exchanging of the rings is a promise to stay committed and be committed to one another, forsaking all others. Let the rings be a physical reminder of your devotion to only one another. Christian, you may place the ring on her finger."

Elliot hands me the ring and when I take it, I notice my hands are shaky. _I'm actually nervous._ I look down at my stunning bride, her eyes are wide and sparking, her smile big and bright, and it calms me. _It's time to claim her, Grey._

"I give you this ring as a symbol of my vows, and with all that I am, and all that I have. I will honor you, protect you, and keep you, forevermore. Ever Mine."

As I slip the finger onto her finger, her shoulders raise a little in excitement and I know she's doing her best to reign in her excitement. I want to tell her to let it out, to dance around like she does at home and, because my heart is so full, I want to join her.

"Anastasia, you may place the ring on his finger."

Kate hands her the ring and she takes a deep, calming breath before starting.

"I give you this ring as a symbol of my vows, and with all that I am, and all that I have. I will honor you, fight for you, and follow you, forevermore. Ever Thine."

She slips the ring onto my finger and I do a small happy dance, similar to the one she always does, causing her to giggle and join me. Our guests start to laugh and clap and Anastasia blushes and laughs, hiding her face in her hands.

"What God has brought together, let no man tear apart. Let this marriage for now and forevermore be ever yours."

She looks up at me and I take her hands.

"Ever Ours."

"Christian, you may kiss your bride."

Anastasia looks up at me through her eyelashes, her cheeks a light shade of pink, and her bottom lip trapped between her teeth. _Oh, fuck me._

I cup her face and lean in, giving her a sweet kiss, but when she surprises me and slips her tongue across the seam of my lips, I immediately deepen it and my arm finds its way around her, dipping her low.

The crowd begins cheering and clapping and Anastasia giggles into the kiss, making me grin and break the kiss. I pull her upright and I've done my job, because my girl is breathless.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to present to you, for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Christian Grey!"

Anastasia reaches for my hand, but I scoop her up and carry her down the aisle quickly, wanting a moment with Anastasia alone.

On our way down, I hear Ana's mother ask dryly, "That girl's feet are never going to touch the ground again, are they?"

I catch Ray's eye and he gives me a wink and replies, "Probably not."

XxXxXx

The party is still in full swing when Ana and I decide to make a break for it and head to the airport. I'm ready to consummate our marriage and I have a feeling so is she. We climb onto the plane, where our luggage is already waiting, and we each have a seat in one of the chairs facing each other. We have to wait for takeoff to finish before we can head to the back bedroom, and if it was for any reason but safety, I might throw a fit.

I watch her roll her neck and slouch in the chair.

"Long day?" I ask with a grin.

She giggles. "Understatement of the century...but, so worth it. I should have never worn such high heels." She lifts her feet to make her point and I grab them and place them in my lap.

"Here, baby. Let me help you."

I slip her shoes off and begin to rub her right foot. She moans in appreciation and my dick twitches. I try to ignore it for the time being.

"Are you ready to jet off into the night and live happily ever after?"

Her head is resting on the back of the chair and her eyes are closed, but she grins. "Absolutely. Where are we going?"

"Ah, that's a secret, Mrs. Grey."

"Husbands aren't suppose to keep secrets, Mr. Grey."

"Alright, then it's a surprise."

I hear her huff and I run my index finger up the bottom of her foot, making her squirm and try to pull away, but I hold steady. "So sassy, Mrs. Grey. We'll have to take care of that."

The pilot gives us an all clear and I release my buckle and stand, seeing her watch me with wide eyes. I lean down and unbuckle her and give her a soft kiss on her lips.

"Are you okay?"

She blinks up at me and blushes. "Yes."

 _My shy Ana is coming out._ "What is it?" I'm honestly a little worried.

She stands and I take her hand. "I don't know...I'm...I'm nervous for some reason."

My eyebrows knit together. "You've had a long day. We can just head back and go to sleep. I'll cuddle you."

She shakes her head. "No, I want to...I just...I don't know what's wrong with me." I see her cheeks darken even more and she looks down at her feet.

"Hey..." I raise her chin with my index finger. "There is no reason to be nervous. I'll take care of you. I will always take care of you."

She nods, but I can see her nerves haven't gone away. I pick her up and carry her towards the bedroom. "Just relax and let me love you, okay?"

"You are so lovely, Christian."

I stand her on her feet when we make it to the back bedroom and shut the door behind me. She is chewing her lip and I know it's my job to calm her.

I run my hands up and down her naked arms soothingly. "How's this?"

She grins. "Lovely."

"Turn around, baby."

She turns and I unzip her dress, kissing her bare back as it falls and pools at her feet. She has on antique white lace panties with "Mrs." written on the back. I run my hands down her back, to the waistband of her panties.

"Still doing okay, Mrs. Grey?"

I hear her giggle and it's reassuring. "Yes, husband."

I groan at the name and press my lips to her neck before kneeling down and taking the panties with me. I tap her ankles one by one and she lifts them, releasing the panties.

"Another item for our hope chest..." I place them on the chair and turn back to her, picking her up and laying her down on the cool comforter.

I lean down and kiss her lips softly and when I try to pull away her head comes off the pillow and follows me. I chuckle, breaking the kiss and her head relaxes back into the pillow.

"I think I have too many clothes on, don't you?" I ask, looking down at myself.

When she nods in agreement, I stand, ridding myself of my wedding clothes quickly. Once I am naked, I slide up the bed and lay on top of her, using my forearms to keep my weight off of her.

"How's it goin'?" I ask, kissing her lips.

She gives me a shy smile. "Perfect."

"Do you mind if I have a little taste?" I ask, grinding my hips into hers.

She moans and shimmies. "Please."

I kiss her lips one last time and slide down her body, kissing along the way. I stop at her center and she slowly opens for me. I look up to make sure she's still alright and her lip is between her teeth and her eyes are dark and hazy. _She's ready._

I take my time, keeping my tongue strokes slow and steady and after a few minutes, I hear her panting hard. Her fingers grip onto the sheets and I continue on with steady strokes until her hips bow over the bed and my name falls from her lips.

"Oh, Christian...that was so intense." She has both hands over her heart and her chest is rising and lowering at a rapid pace to try to suck some air into her lungs.

I smirk and kiss my way back up. "See, baby. Good things come to good girls who wait." Usually she'd be begging for a release halfway into it, not allowing me to take my time and let her build up properly. Maybe now, she'll realize what she's been missing.

"Can I make love to you?"

She whimpers. "Please, Christian." Her legs come up and wrap around my waist.

"Slow and steady, Mrs. Grey. We've got all night."

Anastasia falls asleep quickly after our long round of lovemaking and I hold her, while I listen to her slow, deep breaths. I'm not as tired as I hoped I would be, but I'm completely content where I'm at. The past few months have been the best months of my life and I'm hopeful that it'll only get better from here. I know we've got shit to deal with when we come back to reality, but for the next few weeks I'm going to ignore it, and spend all of my time with my wife, in paradise.

Looking down at Anastasia, it doesn't even seem real. I don't know what I did to be so lucky, nor do I care. All that matters is that she's mine and I'm hers. _I'm proud to be hers._ I lift my hand to look at my ring and smile at the Celtic knot. I'm proud to wear this and to be connected to her for all eternity. No one is going to take what is mine or take me away from what is mine. _Ever Thine, Ever Mine, Ever Ours._

- _Fin._


End file.
